Words are Words
by DiscoUnicorn
Summary: Ukitake and original character. Love, love, love.
1. Chapter 1

I'm writing this story because I like Ukitake's character. Duh. You know I don't own anything related to the Bleach series or manga. I do own the sloppy plot and a few of the characters. Thank you. Also, if you think the characters are OOC. That's fine. I want them to be that way. I DO ENJOY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Enjoy! 

Oshiriku Shihouin stood two inches short of six feet dressed in knee length black pants and a long sleeved plum colored cotton shirt. The dark brown shoe on her right foot dug into the ground as she turned around to a man two or three inches taller than her. His black eyes stared at her through slits. Her own eyes, not as dark, but a deep chocolate color, gazed back into his uncaringly. She pointed to the rows of swords on the table with a gleam in her eyes. The man made a sound in the back of his throat before turning from her and walking away slowly. Oshiriku frowned to herself.

"I can't practice with that one until my own zanpakuto tells me its name. Father?"

"You should have already heard its name. If only you would listen. You're so headstrong. Your cousin Yoruichi could control her abilities at nine."

"Wrong! And Yoru-san is older than me! Father!" She blinked at him with a large smile on her face.

"Still manipulating others with your sweet little face, Oshi? Fine, take the one on the end and bring it back when you are done. Don't forget we have a family meeting tonight. So, be back in time to get cleaned up and dressed before then."

"Yes, father." She grabbed the sharp sword from the table as she ran out the front door. Her father had limited her to praticing in their land and the land of their neighbors, who were subsequently her cousin's Yoru-san's family. After only a few minutes of playing with the sword, she discarded it and ran from the end of their property to the gat at the end of her other family's property with a large smile on her face. She practiced controlling spirit orbs as she ran and danced with her long black hair twirling around her. It was the most fun she'd had in over five years. You see, her father explained to her wearily that she was a noble and meant to act as such. She didn't know what he meant, and some part of her did not care.

"HEY! Oshiriku! You're going to destroy the south wing of our house if you keep up that moving." The voice was distant but soft.

Her dark eyes opened to find her cousin standing ten yards away. A wide smile broke out on her beautiful face as she ran to the older girl. "Yoru! I missed you! Papa said you were going to come home today for the family meeting! How are you? How is life at the school? I hear you were ranked second in command in your division. Ahhh!!!! Did mama tell you about my new kimono for the party we are having in two weeks?"

Yoruichi frowned slightly, but covered it with a quick smile as her cousin slammed into her and captured here in a tight hug. The girl didn't let her go until her cheeks had turned a dark red color from lack of oxygen. "Yes, yes, Oshi. Your mother told me. I was so glad about my first party amongst the other nobles as well."

"I thought there was no one at your house at the moment. How did you fair?"

Yoruichi laughed at her cousin's ability to keep up two conversation at one time. "Ehhh. It is empty. I just came really early to introduce a friend to my mom and dad, but they're not here so--"

"Yoruichi- san, it took us forever to find you. Your house is like a endless maze. I feared Ukitake wouldn't make it if we didn't find you soon." The voice was filled with humor.

"Ukitake Jushiro. He's a friend from school."

The girl's eyes trailed from her cousin's to the two men and woman standing behind her. She gave Kuaku a tight hug before allowing her eyes to gaze into the blue ones of the man with shoulder length blond hair. Her eyes darted from his quickly and settled on the angled face of the man standing beside him. He was taller than the blond man by four or five inches and he had hair that contrasted sharply with her black locks but surely longer than hers. While her hair reached her waist, his was a foot longer. It was his eyes that captivated her the most of all his appearance, for she was accustomed to seeing death gods dressed in their usual black garments and brown sandals. His eyes were a gray so dark they could have been black to someone who didn't stare people in the eyes so often. She stood gazing into his eyes in silence as her cousin and the two other people nervously watched her.

Ukitake smiled geniuinely and extended his hand as he said, "I'm pleasured to meet you."

She couldn't move. Her mind screamed at her limbs to move forward and shake his hand, but all she could do was look into those stormy skied colored eyes and think of how peaceful they were. "T-there's…"

"Uhh! Oshi, are you okay? Ahh." Yoruichi burst into loud laughter. "Charmed by Ukitake, I see."

"No!" Oshiriku's bronze colored face turned a shade red. She laughed nervously as she shook his hand. "I'm happy to have seen you as well."

"Met. Yeesh, Yoruichi, she's off worse than you were when I first met you. Hey! Kisuke is here, Oshi."

"I noticed." The girl shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked away. She heard someone approaching her from behind, so she broke into a run and went straight up to her room through the front door.

"Atch! Kuaku, why'd you have to go and make her feel all embarassed about the Ukitake thing. It's bad enough she gotta deal with that stupid party. You know how much they stink. You guys want sake before my parents arrive?" Yoruichi glanced up at the window connected to her cousin's room. "Why'd you have to be an idiot and try to run after her?"

Kuake frowned. "I didn't know she was that fast! I didn't meant to insult the little jerk." She wrapped her arm around Yoruichi's shoulder and pretended to hug her. "It was all in good humor!"

Oshiriku stood in her room with her arms crossed over her chest.She padded barefoot from one wall to the other with her eyebrows furrowed. Her mind was completely on how beautiful that stupid man had been and how Kuake had embarassed her in front of him. She jumped on her bed with a loud sigh. Oh well, he was probably five hundred years old anyway. He probably even had a wife and children and a very large family that welcomed him home whenever he had the chance to visit them. Oshiriku stared at the wall gloomily; she wanted a warm happy family that welcomed her home. Then again, she'd just graduated from the academy and she didn't go anyplace daily to be welcomed home from.

She ignored the black cat sitting in her doorway as she washed her face in the bowl of hot water on her table. The cat creeped into the room and jumped on her bed and quickly onto the table where it could be seen. Oshiriku rolled her eyes as she discarded her clothes onto the bed and rubbed an index finger dipped in lavender oil on her neck. She pulled on her silk kimono with a look of utmost importance on her young face. The kimono was violet with white daisies painted on it. She stepped into her stilted sandals after lifting her hem a fraction. The cat jumped onto her shoulder.

"Yoruichi-san! You'll get fur on my favorite kimono. What are you doing here anyway?" Oshiriku raised her eyebrows at the animal. The cat smiled at her widely. "Oh, I don't mind Kuaku's teasing. I'm fine." The girl lifted the cat into the air and twirled around with her. When she was done twirling, Yoruichi was sure she would have thrown up if she weren't in her cat form. Why did Oshi had to twirl so fast? The cat staggered out of the room.

It was her favorite day of the week. No, it was her favorite task of the week, sitting in a room with all of her family. The people sitting at the table were the main circle, which included her father, his twin brother, and their younger sister. Her father had had the disadvantage of being born two minutes after Yoruichi's father. Regardless, there were only three siblings and six offspring from the three combined. Tow apiece? Oshiriku furrowed her eyebrows, but forced a smile when she glimpsed her mother's angered glare. She stared at her hands. Her mother sat beside her father, who was identical to the man sitting across from him with his wife. Her father and uncle had dark skin like Yoruichi's and their eyes were golden as well. Her aunt Tentoken was a shade lighter than her brothers, but she had short dark purple hair and golden eyes. The men in their family had black hair that was pinned up. Oshiriku's mother was pale, short, and dark eyed. Her eyes reminded Oshiriku of the night sky when all the lights were out in the streets. Her mother was raised up to standards, as the woman should be. She'd married Ishinto when she was only thirteen and he was one hundred and fifteen. Her father, uncle, and even her aunt were great warriors. Her aunt's husband had died in a surprise attack from ten hollows one day. He left her behind with four children to take care of. Oshiriku did not want a life like her aunt's.

"I just wanted to suggest sending Oshi to the school with me when the new season starts," Yoruichi said happily.

"It would be best she began her training, considering she does not have he ability to transform as you three and Yoruichi has been so blessed with." Nanuri said as she gazed at her daughter. She pressed her lips together when the girl stared directly in to her eyes. Sometime soon, she would have to begin teaching her daughter how to properly act. She realized that if Oshiriku went away to school then she would be with Yoruichi more. The horrified expression on her face frightened the man sitting across from them.

"Nanuri-san, what is wrong?" Ashunto asked cautiously. His brother's wife shook her head quickly and forced a smile.

"I'll take care of Oshi. Don't worry, Nanuri!" Yoruichi said happily. The girl was dressed in a plain white shirt and black pants with brown sandals. Her long purple hair had been chopped off. She gave a catlike smile and winked at her younger cousin.

Yoruichi's mother, who was as dark as her husband with hair the color of the darkest blue Oshiriku had ever seen, was a foot taller than Oshiriku's mother but still more graceful. "I'm sure you will, dear."

Tentoken's youngest child was four years old; the oldest was ten. It was the ten year old who said, "Do we go to school soon?"

Ashunto shook his head with a smile before launching into a lecture on how Ishinto and Nanuri should be preparing Oshikiru for the party Friday. She had to be in the utmost condition so that the people could see that not only the first offspring, but also the second in the twenty-second Shihouin generation would be as successful and graceful. Oshiriku sat in silence beside Yoruichi with her eyebrows furrowed again. Yoruichi nudged her in the side with her elbow as a signal to stop looking like that. The girl nodded softly and blankly stared at her feet.

The meeting ended two hours later. It was pitch dark outside, but the street lanterns had come on, and lanterns on their property illuminated the place. Oshiriku sat in the grass underneath a growing sycamore tree with her soul slayer across her lap. Her father probably thought she was asleep in her bed. She pulled her knees up to her chin as she readjusted her seating. Yoruichi, Kisuke, and the other man appeared on the back porch suddenly. Oshiriku let out a loud sigh at being interrupted from her mock session of meditation.

"Tag, Oshiriku?" Yoruichi asked playfully. Oshiriku's eyes went wide as possible before she disappeared from where she sat. Her sword hit the ground with a soft thump. She reappeared beside Yoruichi, who promptly disappeared. They appeared on the ground behind one another then on the house.

"She's going to catch her at least three times," Urahara said with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Ukitake asked with a bewildered expression. He could not imagine anyone catching Yoruichi, and he knew a lot of shinigami; he was almost four hundred years old.

"She's done it before. Yoruichi may be goddess of the flash, but little Oshiriku must be demigoddess."

The two women returned twenty minutes later in the center of the yard. Oshiriku was riding Yoruichi's back with a large grin on her face. Yoruichi said something softly to her; the girl stole a quick glance at Urahara and burst into loud laughter. The blond haired man raised his eyebrows and scratched his head. Oshiriku appeared by her sword again and picked it up carefully, silently apologizing to it for leaving it so uncaringly.

"How many times?" asked Urahara.

"Five. Better than last time." Yoruichi smiled happily. Urahara threw Ukitake a nod.

"Your turn, Kisuke!" Oshiriku said happily as she put her sheathed sword on her back. Urahara nodded as he padded down the steps, sneaking a quick glance at the purple haired woman three feet away from him. He knew she wanted him to be a shard as he could on the girl. If they didn't train her the way she needed to be train then someone would just come along and try to kill her. Yoruichi sat cross-legged on the balcony of the porch with a smile on her face. She loved to watch Oshiriku fight. Ukitake stood beside her with a curious expression on his face, but he did not say or ask anything. He would rather watch the fight than to disturb the atmosphere.

Urahara flashed Oshiriku one of his classic smiles as he pulled his soul slayer from its sheath. When the girl had first fought him at age ten she'd shook so badly that they ended the match after he attacked her only twice. It took almost a year of her getting used to him before she could properly handle her sword and evade some of his attacks. He'd never fought her on full power, but he was sure the time would come soon when he'd have to up the ante. She was Yoruichi's cousin after all. He nodded to the girl who had bowed to him with her sword in hand. He noticed it still looked like a regular sword. Slacking off with her practice. He decided he would punish her for that once the fight started. Oshiriku clutched her sword in her left hand before switching it to her right. She frowned deeply as she threw the sword from hand to the other, weighing which one was more comfortable.

"What the hell are you doing, Oshi?" Urahara asked with a smile.

"I can't decide which hand to fight with!"

"Let me help you." Urahara disappeared and reappeared behind Oshiriku, but she raised her sword with her left hand just as his slammed down. "Good, now pay attention." He swung his sword again, but Oshiriku disappeared. She appeared some feet away from him with a smile on her face. She put her long back hair in a tight bun by use of a white ribbon. Urahara chuckled; of course he'd forgotten her hair was so long. The girl ran at him with that sweet little smile on her face he adored. As his sword knocked hers back, he wondered how she could smile through an entire fight. He hoped she would get serious sooner.

To his dismay, the girl continued with sloppy attacks until she stood in front of him and said, "I cannot do it with Stormy watching me."

"Who is Stormy?!" Urahara asked bewildered. He turned to the two people on the porch. His blue eyes widened as he realized the girl had made the reference to the captain. He burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. Stormy. That was a hoot. Then again, Urahara had seen the man fight; the name suited him slightly. "If you cannot fight in front of Stormy, how do you expect to get into school?"

It had never dawned on Oshiriku that _he_ could be a captain. After all, he was standing in her uncle's house with her cousin. Captains walked around with people lower than them? She glanced at him out the corner of her eye, but she knew he saw her because he raised his head a fraction. Fine. If she had to impress him, she would try her damnedest to make it look as good as possible. Her left foot lifted into the air and her right hand gripped her sword tightly. Her foot slammed into the dark dirt as she ran forward at Urahara. The man's eyes opened in surprise as he moved out of the way of her attack, but the girl flew behind him with her sword still in hand. She tilted back on the tip of her shoes and twirled as she made her attack. Her sword slid along Urahara's but she pulled it back before it could hit him in the face. He was too beautiful to have such an ugly scar. _Dance with me._ Her mind chanted the words continuously to the sword in her hand. She blocked Urahara's attack and kicked him in the stomach. One. Wait, they were still counting hand combat lands weren't they?! She gracefully stepped out of the way of his next attack and twirled as her sword struck out.

"She's dancing!" Ukitake said in surprise.

"Beautiful, isn't she? Her mother is a descendent from a band of gypsies my uncle met. It isn't uncommon for people in my family to marry below themselves, but he was the only one in their generation to do so. Although…I would say Nanuri's spiritual power is well beyond my own mother's."

Oshiriku ducked quickly and struck out again. She quickly pulled her sword back as it made an aim for Kisuke's face again. He hit her on the behind with the flat side of his sword. She knew what he was saying. He'd said it to her dozens of times before._ "If you want to cut, cut." _Her sword tilted with her body as her feet leapt into the air. The two pieces of steel slammed into one another with shrieks, sending sparks onto the ground. Oshiriku flipped with the use of her left hand, and her foot connected with Urahara's nose, but her body turned with the use of the hand as it quickly slid across the ground, and her other hand brought her sword up. Urahara grunted as he fought back the attack. The girl was smiling and hanging upside down on one hand. Her kimono began to lower itself. He wasn't in the least bit shocked to see she wore skintight black pants underneath. Oshiriku flipped onto her feet. She held her sword out in front of her. _Dance with me._ Her sword pulsed a deep purple color in her hands. Those brown eyes widened in surprise. Yoruichi raised her eyebrows, but winked at Urahara when he gave her a questioning expression.

"Dance, Kagura!" Oshiriku smiled as light burst forth from the sword and it extended into a thinner blade. Her face showed slight disappointment, but she was overjoyed she'd finally called her zanpakuto by its name. Her celebrating was cut short as Urahara swung at her again. She blocked with her sword, and it bent so that his cheek was cut. It was flexible! She jumped back with a look of concern that quickly turned into fear as Urahara ran at her with dark, angry eyes. She turned and ran quickly while screaming at the top of her lungs. Yoruichi and Ukitake laughed in unison as the sight of them running back and forth from one end to the next. Oshiriku tripped over her foot and fell forward. Her sword struck out the moment her shoulder hit the ground. Urahara sidestepped, but Oshiriku flicked her wrist and he was cut on the leg. She wiped the blood from her shoulder as she stood. Why'd she always have to end up with a cut shoulder and broken rib when she fought him? He had to be the hardest person in the world to fight and he was holding back on her. She felt more of his spiritual power pouring out as he ran at her. Her eyes closed and her sword moved. She heard the loud clinking of the metal as her body and the sword danced as one. Urahara easily evaded her attacks. All her smiling had finally rubbed off on him. He smiled as he through attack after attack at her. There. His sword came down hard. Oshiriku disappeared. He cursed softly and followed her onto the top of the house.

Yoruichi and Ukitake stood motionless on the porch. Ukitake was surprised the girl had been able to land blows on Kisuke. His thoughts drifted away as the two appeared back on the ground. Oshiriku had a fresh cut on her side. She lifted her sword, but her vision blurred. With a loud yell, she ran at Urahara. He moved from her attack and his blade slid into her shoulder again, but her blade curved and grazed his left side. They jumped away from one another. Oshiriku smiled at him widely with her hand clutching the wound at her side. Had he cut her too deeply? He saw the large amounts of blood falling onto the ground. The girl fell to her knees in pain. A burst of spiritual energy surrounded the girl. Yoruichi jumped off the balcony as she bound towards her cousin. A dog? She stood with her eyes wide in horror at the animal lying wounded on the ground. The girl had changed into a dog to slow the blood flow. Yoruichi smiled, but it was Urahara who picked up the wounded Oshiriku and carried her into the house. Ukitake picked up and sheathed her sword then he followed his friends up the stairs in the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Duh. You know I don't own anything related to the Bleach series or manga. I do own the sloppy plot and a few of the characters. If you think the characters are OOC. That's fine. I want them to be that way. **I DO ENJOY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM**. Enjoy:)

Oshiriku clutched her sword to her chest. Urahara walked around her with his hand on his chin. Yoruichi sat on a boulder above them with her legs crossed underneath her. Her golden eyes danced between the two people as she smiled. They were in her and Urahara's secret place so that they could train Oshiriku better for the entrance exam. Yoruichi reasoned her cousin could easily get someplace between the top fifteen at the level she was now, but she wanted her cousin to be the best person entering that year. Urahara was teaching the girl how to better control her emotions and channel them into her movements. Yoruichi hadn't bothered to ask Ukitake if he wanted to come with them; she knew the man made little Oshi nervous.

"Kisuke-san, don't forget we have to return Oshi home so that she can be at the party on time!"

"Ohhhh! Are you coming too Yoru-san? I will feel so much better with you there!" Oshiriku said happily.

Yoruichi's eyes widened in horror. Damn, she didn't mean to make it sound like she wanted to be at the disgusting, boring, and long party. Urahara stood behind Oshiriku with his tongue sticking out at his purple haired comrade. "Of course Kisuke and I will tag along to keep you company."

Not matter how much Urahara wanted to protest, he could not resist when he saw the light in the girl's eyes when she hugged him tightly. He glared at Yoruichi as he pat the girl on the head playfully. She sheathed her sword and began to coax her cousin and Urahara into playing tag. Yoruichi thought about it for a moment; although Oshiriku needed work it was not on her flash step. Then again, her cousin had been standing there bored for nearly five hours. She appeared beside them. They each stuck a hand out so that Urahara's hand was in between the other two with Oshiriku's being on top. They gazed at one another with silly smiles on their faces. Oshiriku was first to disappear then Urahara then Yoruichi.

Her room had been cleaned and her new kimono lay on the bed beside her favorite stilted sandals. She went into the bathroom happily so that she could take a long, hot bath. The water pounded into the marble tub each time a servant brought up a bucket of steaming water and poured it in. She nodded to the tall heavy man carrying the bucket, signaling that was enough. After pouring oils and salts into the bath she dropped her kimono and go inside. The water felt so good on her skin that she could not help but slide further down. Her brown eyes closed as she thought of the game she and her friends had played earlier. She'd caught Yoruichi only twice, but she'd tagged Urahara almost twelve times. She wondered why they had not brought Ukitake along with them; she hadn't seen him since that night she'd stupidly transformed into a dog in front of them. Her smoking palms covered face as she screamed in shame. How could she embarrass herself like that in front of someone so godly? She sat in the water until it was lukewarm.

Her mother stood in her room already dressed. The woman began brushing the girl's hair as soon as she sat on the bed and began rubbing lavender scented oil on her skin. Nanuri brushed the girl's damp hair flat before going through hairpins in the purple box on the dresser. Oshiriku adjusted her kimono as her mother pushed her back onto the bed. There was no way she could reach the girl's head when she was a foot shorter than her.

Oshiriku sat in silence as her mother pulled and braided and folded her hair over and underneath pins. She kept a blank expression on her face the entire time. Her mother was working extra hard to make her pretty for the occasion and she did not want to ruin it. Nanuri tried her best to put the long black hair in braids and pins, but it all seemed useless because the pins would only slide off. She threw them back in the box and brushed the hair flat again. No one had worn their hair straight down since Yoruichi's party so long ago. That was almost a hundred and twelve years ago. Nanuri stared into Oshiriku's chocolate colored eyes before sitting down on the bed beside her daughter. She felt so tired, and the pain in her back was not helping one bit. On top of being sick, why did she have to be the one to deliver such news? How could she tell her daughter her destiny? The woman frowned, as she was deep in thought and unaware of the large brown eyes watching her.

Why was her mother so uneasy in the room with her? She could feel the disturbance in the woman's energy as she muttered to herself. Her eyes widened a fracture when she saw the pained look on her mother's face as she sat straight. Her heart beat quickly, but she dismissed that she'd ever seen the expression when her mother looked at her with a smiling and shining eyes. Oshiriku pulled her long black hair away from her face. She went to her table and pulled a dark purple ribbon from her box of ribbons. Her hands swept her hair over her shoulders and caught it underneath with the ribbon. She pulled the ribbon up tightly and slowly folded her hair so that it was shaped like a piece of perfectly risen bread. She pinned it down with her favorite silver pins. Her mother was watching her with curious eyes. She stood and gazed at the girl's hair with a smile.

"Overjoyed to see you can at least do your own hair." Her mother's voice seemed distant. She took a deep breath.

"Is there something wrong, mama?" Her eyebrows rose.

Nanuri smiled and said, "As your mother, I must tell you your place in this family. After you succeed in becoming a death god, you should know that you are expected--"

"To marry and bear babies that will keep the Shihouin name honorable? You want me to be a lady of society that lets her husband handles her troubles. I should keep house."

Her mother nodded. Oshiriku laughed loudly. She touched her mother on the knee half-heartedly and nodded as if in agreement. The woman smiled as she left the room; that had been easier than she'd thought it would be. When her husband first told her she would have to explain to Oshiriku where her place was in the family, she was hesitant. Sometimes, her daughter had a nasty temper that caused her to say and do things she regretted later. Lately, she noticed, Oshiriku had begun to control herself better and not speak as much as they traveled the shops downtown. Perhaps she had been wrong about Yoruichi being a bad influence on her daughter.

The party was being held in a large ballroom in the building five roads from their house. They owned the building and occasionally rented it out to people looking to throw large parties. It had been decorated exactly the way Oshikiru and Nanuri had agreed upon. While Oshiriku valued the color purple, she also loved bright colors that made people squint when looking at them. Take for instance, the bright orange kimono she wore at that moment. The girl had gone to the tailor the day after she and her mother left just so she could change the color of the material from a pale blue to the vivid orange. One thing rang true about the color: it went wonderfully with the shade of her skin.

Nanuri and Oshiriku had studied the building precisely months earlier as they had prepared to design how the decorations would go. In the end, they went with a design Oshiriku made, but Nanuri chose the color patterns. Because it was spring, she'd chosen warm pastel colors that would have gone perfectly with her daughter kimono so that when the artist drew her portrait people would later look upon it with admiration of her beauty. The woman sighed; she had at least managed to save the decorations from being yellow, orange, silver, and green. Although it looked wonderful in her daughter's drawing book, she doubted it would look so wonderful on the walls. She would have to write the decoration company a wonderful thank you letter. The clothes and pictures draped on the wall looked magnificent.

"Mama, people are beginning to arrive. Perhaps we should show--"

"No, no, dear. Never insult nobles by showing them anything," Nanuri said patiently. She motioned for her daughter to turn around. The people sat quietly at different tables. "They know."

She stood blank faced beside her mother and father who sat with strange smiles on their faces as people continued to file in. After an hour, she'd figured everyone would have arrived, but she was wrong. It was apparent that some people thought it fashionable to show up extremely late to important events. She let out a loud sigh and her shoulders slumped as she looked down at the polished floor beneath her feet. She felt her mother pinch her. Her back went straight and her eyes stared forward. A tear hung on the edge of her eyes, but her eyelids pushed it back inside. People glanced at her and nodded while some just plain stared in disbelief.

Thirty minutes later the door was closed. Oshiriku eased back against the wall for support as her father stood and began to talk about family and honor and life. She felt her eyes getting heavy before she knew what was happening. With her back pressed against the wall, her head slumped against her shoulder. Soon, the people at the table closest to her could hear soft snores. They stared at her with looks of contempt. Yoruichi nudged Urahara in the side, distracting him from the large amounts of food on the table. He glared at her, but was glad she'd interrupted his dreaming as he saw Little Oshi asleep against the wall while her father was speaking so proudly about them. He figured sleeping was better than falling face first like Yoruichi had done during her party. Poor kid. He laughed again.

Oshiriku blinked heavily and gasped at the large amount of eyes on her. She'd fallen asleep during her father's speech. Well, he was still talking, but the damage had been done now. She thought about all the horrible ways she would be punished as he finished up. Surely, he would whip her so that she would be too bruised to practice with Yoruichi and Kisuke. Thinking of them, she spotted them sitting near the back of the room laughing at her. Her face turned a shade red as she looked own at her hands. Great, now she decided to be bashful.

Her father took her hand, clutching it rather tighter than they'd practiced. And led her down each table. He introduced her to each house and each person sitting at the tables. By the times they'd gotten back around to their own table, Oshiriku's mind was overflowing with useless names. How would she ever be able to remember all those people? She sat down beside her father. Her uncle stood and told them to begin the feast. She rested her chin on her palm. Wow, what a boring old party. She asked her mother what had happened to the harpist and drummer she'd asked her to invite. Her mother motioned to the people sitting cross-legged on the floor. Oshiriku nodded for them to start playing music. As she suspected, Yoruichi was the first person on the floor as she dragged Urahara, who clutched a large chicken leg, behind her.

She danced with each man that asked her just as her mother had instructed her. Although they were slow and bored her to no end with simple questions and old stories, she did her duty in making sure not to turn down one person who asked her to dance. She even danced with Urahara twice and Yoruichi once, but Yoruichi's father scolded her for taking Oshiriku when there could have been other men waiting to dance with the girl. For all they knew, Oshiriku's husband could be at that party.

By the time the party was over, it was almost dawn. People carried one another out because they'd drank too much wine and was incapable of carrying themselves upright. Oshiriku sighed rather loudly and told her parents she would walk home with Yoruichi and Urahara. On one hand, the latter had never planned on returning back to the house before heading back to the school. Then again, Yoruichi felt they weren't due for the lieutenant meeting for five or six hours so it was safe to walk her home. When they did make it to Oshiriku's house, she talked them into sitting in her backyard with her until the sun came up. They agreed to stay for a while, but they ended up leaving only thirty minutes later. After all, they needed sleep just as sure as the next death god did. Oshiriku laughed as she waved goodbye to them.

"That was a beautiful party." Said a soft male voice.

"Sir." Her head bowed.

He laughed. "You shouldn't be so serious. Why'd you look so miserable while you danced?"

She gasped. Her body turned to him slowly. "Y-you were there?"

He nodded. "Great performance during your father's speech. It was not as funny as Yoruichi's falling face first into the floor, but close enough."

"None of them could dance gracefully." She pulled her index finger. This was surely a sign that she was nervous.

He held his hand out to her. "Dance with me."

"There's no music." She whispered the words.

"I remember it. I'm sure you do as well. I heard you humming it as you walked with Yoruichi-san and Kisuke-san." His hand was still extended to her. He smiled as she slowly reached out and grasped it.

She stood a foot away from him as they slowly began to move. No doubt her parents were either asleep or thinking she was someplace playing cards and drinking with Yoruichi. His hand pressed into the small of her back, pressing her closer against him. He could feel her trembling against him, but he ignored it as they all but floated around the yard. She stared at his white hair flowing around them. Were they flying? She almost laughed as she relaxed against him. No one could fly without the help of some spell. Regardless, it did feel like they were floating. They danced until the sun was visible. She stared into his gray eyes and took a step back as her heart began to pound in her chest. She bowed to him quickly before jogging to the back door and going straight up to her room.

After she'd changed into her sleeping gown, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling humming the song they'd danced to. Whether or not she knew it, that song would quickly become her favorite. She turned to the wall and closed her eyes tightly. Footsteps could be heard in the hall. Her door opened slightly. She was sure the person looking in on her was her mother. The air in the room grew warm before the woman closed the door again. Oshiriku let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps her mother had accidentally seen her and Ukitake-san dancing in the backyard, but wanted to make sure she'd been wrong by assuring herself that her daughter was asleep. Indeed, she was the one who was destined to marry and live with some man until he or she died. Part of her heart hoped that man could move like Ukitake-san.


	3. Chapter 3

Oshiriku stared at her golden-eyed cousin holding a large pair of scissors in front of her. The girl clutched her long braid as she stared wide-eyed at her cousin after looking at the floor. They were silent as Urahara sat on the ground a few feet away with his legs crossed at the ankle. They had been practicing for nearly two months. Well, Yoruichi and Urahara visited Oshiriku whenever they had a break at school. In total, they had met and practiced in Urahara and Yoruichi's old playground fifteen times. Yoruichi was trying to coax the girl into cutting her hair so she wouldn't have to worry about it being cut while she was fighting her opponent during the entrance exam. Oshiriku's eyes grew wider. NOTE: Urahara had been sitting on the ground debating if whether or not that was possible.

"Kisuke, tell her." Yoruichi voice seemed to be pleading with her blond haired friend.

"Aye, I've worn my hair short all my life. I don't know, but a lot of women with long hair return from the zanjutsu exam with shorter hair. I guess then it was probably a sick joke of whatever captain they got to fight. I wonder who the masked guy was." Urahara stared into space thoughtfully.

"I will wear it pinned. Please, don't do this, Yoru-san!" Oshiriku begged.

"Your pins will fall during battle. They always do. Urahara is just nice enough not to cut such beautiful locks because he fancies them. Fine. When your hair is cut down, you can come and I will give you a proper finish up then."

"I will not let my hair get cut. I will keep it up in a ribbon."

"Ahhh, Yoruichi, you didn't think of that! Remember how I nearly wept when your beautiful hair was cut. I would have killed that stupid person. Well, if I could have I would have tried it. Good thinking, kid."

"Damn! I wanted to cut it so I could show it to Kuake. She's so jealous of it. That's why she can't stand being near you. 'Such strong strings of ebony should belong to someone that will do great things. This cousin of yours, I think she will go far.' All because of your hair!"

Oshiriku sat beside Urahara quietly, but her eyes had gone back to their original size. She played with a loose thread from her white practice suit Yoruichi had bought her from one of the tailors. The exams were in three days and here she was feeling as if there was no hope of her actually getting into the school in a position worth mentioning to her parents during her first break. Yoruichi stopped talking when she noticed no one was listening to her babble on about Kuake's obsession with Oshiriku's hair. Urahara was asleep, and her cousin was nervous about something. Yoruichi sent Oshiriku to get dressed behind a rock some feet away. As soon as the girl was gone, she kicked Urahara in the side. They began to argue.

"Do you really think I will do well?" Her voice sounded small.

Urahara nodded. "Just do like we do at practice. We'll see you in three days at the entrance. Yoruichi was sneaky enough to get us on the stupid welcoming committee."

Yoruichi grabbed Urahara by the collar and drug him away while shouting inane insults at him. Oshiriku walked home in silence. She stopped to kick a dirty ball around with a group of people her age for a few hours before she continued on her way home. She took her sword to their backyard and sat under the tree. What would she do when it finally came down to her fighting the man or woman behind the mask? She only had three days to mope about it.

After dinner, her father came up to her in the sitting room with the notion Yoru-san had when they'd been practicing earlier. She explained to him the same thing she'd said to Yoruichi. He slapped his head and said, "It's so simple! I would have hair down to the floors if only I had thought of something like that. No worry, Oshi-san, if you can think clear like that, you will have no problems in the exams. Best of all, kido is not really important. It is only ten percent of the exam."

"Ten percent?!"

"Basic magic, dear. It would have been easy to just pay for you to enter, but we Shihouin covet our pride. You will succeed into the school just as your cousin, your uncle, me, your aunt, and all other Shihouins before you have!" He flashed a big smile after he patted her on the head, messing up her already tangled hair.

Three days. She could not sleep for the first two days. She tossed and turned at night only to be left staring at the ceiling with fear and anxiety pounding in her chest. Her stomach could hardly take food. So, she mostly drank water and ate crackers or pieces of bread to avoid being sick.

Her father called her outside on the night before she would leave to go to the school. They sat in silence underneath the tree Oshiriku loved so much. She'd cut her name into the tree with her zanpakuto. Her father's rough hands clutched her smooth one; he began to pray to ancestors. Oshiriku sat wide eyes in surprise as her father continued his chants.

"If when you finish school you choose to not do what is expected of you, I understand. I did not marry the woman my father chose. Did your mother tell you your sister and brother would be home in a week?" Her father smiled widely. Her younger brother and sister were babies. They had to stay with a cousin who was a spiritual healer of some sort; the babies seemed to be prone to catching colds and other infections.

"Yaazo and Ikanna will be the first people on my to visit list once I get into school and get my first visit day! I am scared." She whispered the last sentence, but her father had heard her.

"Fear is only as large as you make it. If you cannot get over fear, if you cannot replace your fear with something, you will fail and return home. If you return home, you know it is your destiny to do as your mother spoke to you. For surely, you shall marry in the fall if you return." His voice was distant. His golden eyes stared at the white flowers tilting in the wind. "I want you to sit here and meditate until it is time for you to leave in the morning. You can eat in the morning if you want, but I will tell you it's best if you don't. The person I fought in combat could fly like a leaf on the wind." He kissed her on the forehead before he disappeared.

Oshiriku stared at the tree until her eyes were too heavy to keep open. She wanted to get up and go to her room where she would sleep in peace, but her body just wouldn't follow her orders. She curled up against the tree and closed her eyes. Sleep covered her like a thick blanket of fog.

Nanuri frowned as she closed the door leading to her daughter's room. It was almost dawn and the girl was scheduled to be at school soon. She checked each room in the house until deciding to look for her outside. Maybe she'd awaken early and wanted to get in some last minute practice. Oshiriku lay underneath her favorite tree snoring louder than usual. Nanuri touched the girl's face, rousing her from her sleep. Oshiriku's eyes widened in shock, and she disappeared. When Nanuri made it up the stairs to the girl room she found her daughter hastily pulling on her "lucky" plum colored kimono. She grabbed her already packed bag and tied her hair up in a tight bun with the use of a black ribbon that was the same color of her hair. If the material weren't shiny, one wouldn't be able to tell it was there. She kissed her mother on the cheek as she ran down the stairs. Her father stood outside the door with a cup in one hand and a blank expression. She nodded to him before breaking into a run. Ishinto closed the door without looking back. He smiled at his wife before motioning her into the dining area so they could begin breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

"Uhhh if your name begins with a 'T' come this way!"

"I'm taking all losers with 'S' over here!"

The girl who'd asked spoken first glared at the boy standing beside her. He laughed nervously and ushered the group of newcomers towards one of the practice buildings. The door opened on its own; he ignored it and allowed the new people to enter before him.

"Aha! Kisuke, I found you. Yoruichi-san has been looking for you. You're supposed to be helping cart around the new little people we're bringing in."

"Isshin, stuff it, will you! Yoru finds me in here I'm done wi--" His words were cut short when he felt someone familiar staring at him. He glanced around at all the faces. A large grin appeared on his face. "How's that for luck? Oshiriku! Hey, over here. Did this jerk give you a hard time?"

Oshiriku shook her head quickly and looked at the ground with red cheeks. The dark haired man stared at Oshiriku for a moment. He nodded. "Your cousin?"

Urahara frowned. "Yourichi's cousin. Dumbass."

"Really? Her beauty surpasses Yoruichi-san's. You know I always thought Yourichi was one of the most beaut--" A loud punch rang out in the room. All of the new students moved back, aside from Oshiriku. She hadn't even noticed that anyone was moving.

"Don't talk about Yoru-san like that to my face!" Urahara said loudly.

Isshin fell to the ground. He slid beside Oshiriku and stood. He sniffed his nose at Urahara and turned to the group in front of him. "Ahh. Well, ignoring the idiot in the room, you guys have a long wait ahead of you. If you want to practice or something you can. I will say that they have added a few complex spells in the demon magic--"

"You fool!" Urahara punched the man in the back of the head and kicked him playfully. "Don't tell them that, you'll scare them brainless!" He grabbed a handful of Isshin's dark hair and dragged him towards the door. "You've only been here ninety years anyway!"

"Well, what's the difference between ninety and one hundred and thirty-four?"

Urahara frowned. "That's a lot. I'm your superior. Obey me!"

Isshin frowned and shook his head. "Captain Ukita--"

"He ain't here! I'm his lieutenant. So, I'm in command." Urahara smiled widely. He winked at Oshiriku. "Ehh, just be careful about what you say to them. We don't need them blowing up stuff unnecessarily or chickening out before it's their time to go out. Hey! Did you see that kimono Mitikaru wore back from visit day Saturday?" He whistled.

Isshin nodded. "Yeh, I would have preferred her in a softer color."

Urahara stared at his friend in disbelief. Color? He was talking about how well it fit the girl! After little debate, he decided to go find Yoruichi. There was no way in hollow hell he could endure being in the room with Isshin longer than need be. He slapped the man on the back and left. The man laughed heartily, but quickly changed his demeanor and stared at each one of the people in front of him with cold eyes. There were only about ten nervous ones out of the entire bunch of twenty-five. He bet those ten would probably be the only ones that made it in. After all, he'd nearly pissed his pants when he first began the kido part. He sat down beside the door clutching his paper and fell asleep.

Oshiriku stood silent against the back wall with her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She took a deep breath and slid along the smooth wood until she was seated on the floor. Mentally, she practiced all the spells she could remember from school, but she was sure the test overseers wouldn't give her spells she already knew how to do. That would be absurd! Still, she decided the mental chanting would help her calm down. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep at the back of the class. The people around her glared as her soft snoring interrupted their meditation.

The door opened, but no one bothered to look up because the officer snoring loudly beside the door had said it would be hours before they were required to come out. The man standing in the door nudged his officer awake with a smile. Isshin yawned loudly and smacked his lips, making a show. He flew to his feet to salute the captain standing in the door. "Uhh, Captain Shunsui, sir?"

"I just came for the kids. Don't get all crazy and stuff. Calling me captain like I'm some old geezer…" He looked at the people sitting in front of him. Some of them were staring at him wide eyed in fear, some were chanting and one was against the wall asleep. She was quite a looker. He cleared his throat. All of them stood except the girl softly snoring against the wall. He took the paper from Isshin and asked him if he knew which student that was fast asleep at the back of the group. The dark haired man smiled like a cat and nodded happily. Yes! He could finally get Yoruichi in trouble. He rubbed his hands together happily and clapped before pointing to the name on the paper. Shunsui nodded. "Shihou--"

"Yes?" Oshiriku asked happily. She smiled widely at the man.

Shunsui wanted to slip to the back of the room and wrap his arms around her shoulders while she continued to smile like that, but first he had to get them to the designated area. He motioned for the students to follow him. _Here we go again._ The group before them had done horribly in kidou. Well, aside from that one quiet guy with the short yellow hair and light gray eyes. As a matter of fact, he'd done better than any other person that day. Shunsui winked at a lieutenant with long black hair walking by him. The girl blushed pink and hurried on her way. He would talk to her another day as well.

"Ahh, Shunsui-san, I wondered what was keeping you!" A short woman with a long brown ponytail said. She motioned the group to stand against the wall. "Well, you have your numbers. Numbers one through ten stand at the line." She turned to the man standing beside her. "Urahara has been walking around here with that silly smile on his face. He was supposed to be helping me here. Have you seen him?" She rolled her eyes when the man didn't answer because his eyes were on the girl standing a few feet away wearing a plum colored kimono. "Okay! We're doing five spells. The object is the same as when you were in school. Destroy the target… at least hit the target!"

There were a few nervouse laughs. "First, Oh Lord, god of all underneath thou foot and on earth of green grant me your strength. Blue Ice 44. Uhh you have to say that leading up to the spell. As a matter of fact. Don't move when you do that one."

The first group nodded. Oshiriku closed her eyes and slid to the back of the group again. She was in the next group! What if she made a stupid mistake like chanting the wrong word? Then again, it wasn't much different from the advanced level class she'd been at school. She forced a smile when she caught a boy with green hair staring at her with side eyes. He seemed to be in a horrible state of shock. Oshiriku laughed nervously as she pushed passed the people and got in line beside the boy who'd been staring at her earlier. Now, he was trembling. She wanted to laugh, but all she could do was pay strong attention to the captain standing less than ten feet away from them.

She'd completely destroyed four of the five targets, but her wind spell only broke the corner. She hoped that would still count for something. The male captain wearing the big brown hat motioned them forward and out of the building. "You know, when I graduated, there were more than three parts of this exam. Luckily for you, Sir Yamamoto was smart enough to devise a way of putting endurance, strength, agility and all that other bull crap in the fighting. Although, I did kind of blow the writing exam. Who wants to write about something so boring anyway?"

The students behind him listened intently, but none of them answered. The had no idea what it was he had written about. Oshiriku waited until all the other students had filed into the large room before she entered. She looked away quickly when she saw the captain watching her with curious eyes. There was a long table with people dressed in white just as the man that led them there was. They sat staring at the group in front of them with blank expressions. The captain sat down beside a man with long white hair on the end. Oshiriku went rigid when the hat man said something to the long haired man sitting beside him. They both looked at her. Ukitake smiled before turning back to his friend.

They were told to sit on the floor and wait their turn. Oshiriku hadn't felt that young since before she'd entered the academy those years ago. She sat with her legs crossed and her elbows resting on her knees. She began to wonder what Yoruichi was doing at that exact moment and if whether or not Kisuke had managed to continue avoiding her. Soft laughter rose into the air as she imagined th argument the two would have about the entire incident. Her plams covered her face as she fell flat on her back with laughter causing her stomach to tighten. For some odd reason, she found it hard to stop the laughter coming from her body. Of course she was nervous, so, if this was her body's way of getting rid of the tension, she welcomed it.

"Shihouin!"

She leaned forward to peep at the man holding the paper in front of the table. The boy she was sitting beside was shorter than her, but her body was not visible. She smiled and casually walked towards the woman. She gave Oshiriku's sword one last look over before telling her to go to the center of the large square. Oshiriku nodded and did as she was told. She held her sword in her hand lightly as she tried to imagine the gym being that place she, Yoruichi, and Urahara visited often. After she found it impossible, she began to talk to her sword mentally. _We will dance together to fight this foe. Help me to be strong, Kagura. Ride the wind with me._

A person dressed in skin tight black clothing came through the door on the right side of the room. Oshiriku continued to smile even after bowing to her opponent. She gazed into cold green eyes staring at her from inside that thin black mask. For all she knew, that could be a woman or a man. Her heart pounded in her chest and the blood in her body seemed to all rushed to her stomach. Thank god she hadn't eaten before arriving. She side stepped when the person disappeared and tried to swipe her left arm. No one told her they would be using flash step on entering students! The smile on her face did not waver as she dodged the attacks easily. The person fighting her was fast, but she figured the captains had told him or her not to move so fast on entering students. _Dance with me._ Her blade rode through the air to slam down on her opponent. While he or she tried to push her off, Oshiriku managed to get a perfect image of Urahara in place of the hidden person.

She stepped back as the person jumped back. Her sword glowed a deep purple and she shouted, "Dance, Kagura!" The wind around her felt nonexistent as she and her sword glided through the air and twirled with each strike and dodged attack. Her imaginary Urahara seemed to have gotten upset when she accidentally Oshiriku had intended to cut the person on the neck cut him on the face. Her sword curved behind and blocked his attack. She flipped away from him, but thrust her sword into the air as he appeared over her. Her feet moved on the wind. She disappeared and reappeared, but disappeared again after blocking a dangerous swing from the black dressed person. After a while, her smile grew wider and she no longer imagined the figure to be Urahara. No, she preferred fighting someone she didn't know.

Their swords slammed into one another repeatedly until the man disappeared and reappeared beside Oshiriku before she could notice him, she jumped, but his sword lightly grazed her side. No, she was not going to be embarrassed in front of Ukitake. She slammed her sword down on the person's and kicked him in the stomach. Her eyes went round. No, it couldn't possibly be. She appeared beside him and kicked him in the back and dodged before his sword could cut her. She flipped on her right hand and blushed furiously when she realized she was wearing a kimono. Her opponent's sword slammed down on her own and he pushed so hard her own sword dug into her shoulder. She smiled and threw a punch at him. He jumped back. _Dance with me._ She flicked her wrist, and her sword extended. It shot toward the dark dressed figure who disappeared just as the sword was about to hit him. He reappeared behind Oshiriku with his sword raised. Oshiriku turned to him with a large smile on her face. Her sword curved around her and dug itself into the person's stomach.

A whistle sounded. "You are not supposed to kill the opponent. What is wrong with you two?" The man with the brown hair frowned at Oshiriku and the black dressed figure. She laughed nervously and sheathed her sword with a bow. The man standing behind her did the same. "Got to the infirmary." The man said the sentence with a bit of irritation in his voice.

Oshiriku sat silently as a girl with short black hair and large eyes bandaged her up. She used magic on the wounds and told her not to exert so much pressure on her side or it would reopen. Oshiriuk nodded before jumping off the bed and walking into the middle room. A man with shoulder length silver hair and deep blue green eyes lay on the table staring at the ceiling with a look of utmost repulse. She fought the urge to just walk away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I don't care." His voice was as cold as his hair looked.

She nodded before turning and leaving. The boy who had been watching her in the gym was standing outside the infirmary with a stupid expression on his face. Oshiriku bet he'd gotten separated from the group and didn't know where to go. Well, neither did she. She tapped him on the arm before walking by. He ran to catch up with her. The captain had told him to wait on her so he could show her the way to the building where they would be taking the writing exam. The boy seemed kind of nervous as he walked beside her.

"You're in a noble house?" He asked hesitantly. Oshiriku nodded. The boy said, "That is why you fight so well. I would have been in the infirmary after only four of his attacks. You lasted the longest against your opponent. Then again, your fight was the only one interrupted. That disappearing thing you did. Where did you learn it?"

"My cousin taught me when I was younger. She said it would be easier for me to get away with things." Oshiriku laughed, but cut it short when she felt a sharp pain in her side. She told herself it was only the wound she'd gotten earlier, but then she realized the wound was on the other side. She pressed her lips together.

The boy glanced at the cut on her shoulder and side and said, "One day, I will be a great healer. I am Ishirio Kotogotoku."

"Shihouin Oshiriku. Nice to meet you, Ishirio-san." She smiled at him.

Most of the people had already began writing when the arrived. Ishirio explained th situation to the captain at the front seat. He motioned to the two empty seats directly in front of him. _Great, all those idiots got the good seats._ Oshiriku sat down beside Ishirio and smiled when the man pointed to fifteen words on the board and told them to write an essay on the three they thought were most important to them. Oshiriku instantly chose family, truth, and honor. As she got further into her essay, though, she realized honor was not as important as endurance. With endurance, she reasoned, one could handle an opponent that would otherwise destroy him and a person could handle rigorous situations and make unbiased decisions. She was the third person to finish writing.

Ishirio appeared from behind the door almost an hour after her with a horrible expression on his face. He leaned against the wall gloomily before noticing the beautiful brown skinned girl sitting beside him. Her chocolate colored eyes watched him curiously as he forced a nervous laugh. He told her he was fine as he backed away from her with a strange smile. She stood, but didn't move when Ishirio bumped into Ukitake.

"Oh, I am so so sorry. I didn't see you!" Ishirio turned to the man behind him. His face turned a pale green color. "Captain." He fell to the ground.

Ukitake helped him up. "It's okay. You should go enjoy dinner before the results are posted on the board later tonight." He smiled at Oshiriku before continuing on his way.

"I hope I get in his squad." Ishirio said with stars in his eyes.

Oshiriku frowned. "I thought you wanted to be a healer." Her eyebrows rose when Ishirio nodded. She laughed as they walked towards the food building. "Everyone knows the healers are on squad four, but if you get put someplace you don't want to be you can ask another captain to petition for you to join his or her squad."

Ishirio nodded thoughtfully as they stood in front of the case holding the food. Oshiriku chose rice and chicken with a cup of water. Ishirio followed her to an empty table. He clumsily set his tray down and sat in the seat across from her. They ate in silence, glancing at some of the people coming in and out of the building.

"You think … Yoru-san!" Oshiriku said. She jumped across the table and slammed into her cousin.

Yoruichi gasped for air. She pushed Oshiriku away gently. "Oshi! I looked for you, but they stuck me with those babies in the first alphabet group. How did you do?"

"Wonderful. She gave Mikabozu one of the best ass whippings ever. Well, it was pretty good for an entrance student. I guess he got all pissy when he realized she was akin to you. Hey! Speak of the dumbass. Hey, Mika-san, how's that face?" Urahara laughed, but began to choke on his sandwich.

Yoruichi slapped him on the back and frowned. "Ah, ignore him. His family is right below ours. Thinks he has to beat me just to prove himself."

"And he ain't even a lieutenant!" Urahara said loudly. He stared down at a notebook in front of him and scratched through a sentence and rewrote it. "You should see this new invent--"

"Ehh, Kisuke, don't bore Oshi with such bull. He thinks he's going to revolutionize the spirit world with those notes and drawings in his notebook."

"This is Ishirio!" Oshiriku said hesitantly. She pointed to the boy sitting two table away with pudding on the side of his face.

Urahara waved before looking back down into his notes and laughing as loud as possible. "After they post names at ten why don't you come to my room and look at some of my stuff, Oshi?"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "It's against school rules, Kisuke. Don't get her in trouble. Besides, they post those names so late so they can brood over why or why they didn't make it. Don't waste the water on the purple notebook, Kisuke!" Yoruichi snatched up the purple notebook from the chair beside Urahara just as his cup fell. She hit him on the head.

Oshiriku laughed nervously before making her way back to Ishirio. He didn't know he had pudding on his face. She rubbed her cheek gently, but gave up when he just stared at her wide eyed. They walked around the place carelssly talking about how life was for them as they grew up. Ishirio had fought his way into the academy and now he wanted desperately to be at the school so he could have someplace to be and he could help the people who helped him. He talked about how beautiful it was to sit by the water in Inuzuri and look at poor people having the times of their lives. He thought he would die of starvation so many times when he was younger that he considered giving up often. Then, some older person would come along and give him food.

All Ishirio's problems made Oshiriku more thankful for the family god had blessed her with. They were sitting quietly in the room they'd first arrived in when someone burst through the door and told them the names were posted. Oshiriku and Ishiro remained sitting as the others ran from the room. They were theonly two afraid of not having a number written beside their name. It was Ishirio who stood first with a determined expression on his face. He pulled Oshiriku to her feet and held her hand as they walked out of the room together. Oshiriku blushed at the people throwing the two of them glances. She didn't look up at the paper, but could sense that Ishirio had obviously made it in because his body relaxed.

"Oshiriku- san, look up." His voice trembled. She closed her eyes tightly after he said those words. Obviously she didn't make it in and he just wanted her to read it for herself instead of him telling her. He index finger lifted her chin and he forced her eyes open. She pushed him off, sending him flying into someone standing four feet away. Her eyes slowly jumped from one name to the next until it fell on her own. It read: Shihouin Oshiriku- 8th Division in 9th position. Her eyes were round as saucers. She screamed and snatched Ishirio to his feet. Her arms wrapped around him tightly as she began to twirl around with tears streaming down her face. Her family would be so proud. After realizing Ishirio was a dark purple color, she let go of him and covered her face with her hands. That was the happiest moment of her life.


	5. Chapter 5

She did visit her parents during her schooling, all two years of it. After all, she had nothing better to do. So, why not devote her time and studies to something she found completely interesting? Compliments came in from all directions on how proud they were of her finishing the program so quickly, but she mostly enjoyed going to bars with Ishirio, Yoruichi, and Urahara more than anything. Sometimes, they would manage to convince Ukitake and Shunsui to tag along, but mostly it was Kuukaku and Kaien from the Shiba clan there to coax everyone into drinking more than they should have. The two found it funny to watch their friends stumble over themselves. Except, Oshiriku did not drink more than one shot of sake with each visit.

Oshiriku had moved up to third seat in her division some years later. She excelled in her classes. Her grades in kido were pretty average. She loved to sit in her captain's room and listen to him talk about the beautiful women he'd met or how fun the school had been when he graduated. Oshiriku always laughed, but wondered why Shunsui-sama never bothered to talk about anything worth listening to. Of course she enjoyed listening to his rambles, but she wanted to know about Ukitake. She wanted to understand him.

It was a cold winter day and they were preparing to go home for the following day because they had a break. Ishirio would be staying with Urahara at a hotel after they'd done celebrating her friend's movement into the second seat. Oshiriku gripped her cloak tighter as she waited alone for the others to come out by the gate. Her eyes widened when she say a familiar figure walking towards her. She stepped back and her hand slid inside her cloak so that it rested on the hilt of her zanpakuto. A gust of wind rippled the kimono she wore. Her face broke into a smile as the dark figure stepped into the light pouring from one of the lanterns.

"You waiting for someone?" He asked curiously. His pale eyebrows were raised.

"My cousin and some friends. We're going out. Come with us?" She'd asked the question before she thought about it. Heat rushed to her face, but she was sure her cheeks were already red from the chill in the air.

Ukitake looked down at his hands with a smile. "I have to see my brothers and sisters. Maybe I can stay for a little while." His dark gray eyes gazed into hers.

"You can invite Shunsui if it will make you feel more--"

"No, he wants to stay here and rest. He's already had too much to drink. You know? One day off and he goes overboard."

Smoke rose into the air with each word they spoke. Oshiriku nodded calmly and turned back to the buildings. _Where are they?_ She trembled and tried to put her hands in her cloak, but she did not find her gloves. Could her night go any worse? Warm hands clamped down on hers. She pressed her lips together as Ukitake gently rubbed her hands so that they were warm. He smiled at her before glancing behind them at nothing. He suggested they go ahead because the others would follow if they already had plans. Oshiriku knew Yoruichi would be angry, but she also knew she wouldn't be in danger with Ukitake. She smiled at him widely and nodded.

The place they were "destroying" that night was a bar north from where she and Yoruichi stayed. She and Ukitake sat at a table close to the door so they could see the others when they entered; only then would they move to seclusion in one of the rooms. She fumbled her sake clumsily as Ukitake watched her. He'd drank two cups already, but she knew he would never drink more than five. She wondered why five was the highest amount he drank. His white hair shined neatly in the light as it coarsed down his cloak. Oshiriku downed the sake and motioned to the waiter to give her another.

"Well, aren't you going over your limit? I've never seen you drink more than one." His voice held humor.

"And you five."

"I have younger sibilings to see later. I don't want them to think I'm a foolish, reckless drunk. I have cared for them as long as most of them can remember."

"You're amazing," she said breathlessly. Her cheeks flared red. She tried to hide her shame by downing the second cup of sake.

"They're family. Then again, I would try to do the same for anyone else." He stared thoughtfully at her.

Oshiriku averted her eyes to a man sitting behind Ukitake. His face was smooth and his silver hair was pulled from his face with a black ribbon. Those blue green eyes Oshiriku had grown to hate gazed at her as if he had just discovered a secret no one else in the world knew. She looked down at her hands as her face grew hot again. Was it that apparent to someone looking at her that she cared for the man sitting across from her? Ukitake's hand rested atop hers softly, drawing her attention back to him. His lips spread into a smile that made her heart beat quicken and her stomach flutter. She glanced at the silver haired man sitting behind them again when Ukitake kissed her on the hand. Didn't he know Mikabozu was sitting behind them with a container of sake and a cup in front of him?

Her attention was pulled back into the room again when his lips pressed against hers. Her breathing stopped, and she couldn't feel her body anymore. She was floating someplace above the building, but she felt warm like a nice spring day. Her eyes closed as she kissed him back gently. Her face turned a deep purple she she saw Yoruichi and Urahara standing beside the table with crazy smiles on their faces.

"I knew it! You abandoned us to be alone with him!" She jabbed a index finger at Ukitake. Then she laughed. "Not bad for a first kiss, huh, Oshi? Hey, waiter, bring two bottles of sake and two cups. I don't think Kuukaku will be joining us today."

"I don't know why. It's pretty boring really." Urhara said with a yawn.

"If you didn't stay in your damn notebooks!" Yoruichi made a swing for him.

"You'll see. One day those notebooks are going to get me famous." He replied happily.

Yoruichi rolld her eyes and slid a cup and bottle of sake towards her friend. They smacked the cups together with large grins and downed three gulps before sitting back with complacent smiles on their face. Yoruichi said something about the bar being colder than it was outside. So, the owner threw more wood into the fire.

They sat around the table talking about training and laughing at some of the situations that occurred. Oshiriku sat rigid with her third cup of sake in her hand smiling at her cousin. Ukitake was engaged in deep conversation with Urahara about the things he'd written down in his journals and notebooks. Yoruichi rolled her eyes and rested her chin on her palm as Ishirio finally came in with a funny shaped hat on his head. He dropped a bag on the floor and gently took the cup from Oshiriku's hand so he could down the liquor in it. He muttered something about two people from division eleven fighting and being assigned to take care of them at the last minute. He stared at Oshiriku with round eyes. "Why are you smiling like that?"

Oshiriku silently cursed Ishirio as she shook her head and stared at her hands again. Yoruichi yawned loudly and motioned to the clock on the wall. "I should be going home before Pops tries to lecture me on coming in when everyone else is going asleep."

Yoruichi made a signal to Urahara that no one else was supposed to see, but Oshiriku caught it. She deliberately pretended to be interested in whatever it was Ishirio was talking about. For some strange reason, he was trying to apologize to her for having to go back to the school because he felt needed. He kissed her on the cheek fifteen minutes after Yoruichi and Urahara had gone. He saluted the captain on his way out. Oshiriku sat at the table with her mouth open. Her eyes remained on the door for some moments before she realized they'd left her all along again with…

"Did your mother tell you it's impolite to sit with your mouth open?"

She looked up to see him smiling at her. After a nervous laugh, she said, "My mother told me a lot of things I've forgotten."

"Well, then! You're not going to drink any more and I'm done. How about we go dancing?" He smiled at her widely. Oshiriku nodded rigorously and followed him out the bar. They walked down the stree with less than half a foot of space between them. When she was younger, Oshiriku's father had told her it was not okay to walk around with men in public. People would think someone had ruined her. She smiled at the thought of Ukitake ruining her. The thought actually made her feel warmer.

He led her into a red building with lanters gracing the entire top ledge of it. He waved to a man with short black hair sitting at the table beside the door. They discarded their cloaks to the woman who asked for them. The music began to play as soon as he led her out onto the dimly lit floor. Her cold hands rested on the white coat part of his captain's uniform. She felt so embarassed standing in the middle of the room with her arms around her superior. His hands rested on her waist gently as they glided to the music. Her head fell against his chest. It was the song they'd danced to years ago in her backyard. It had been one of the most beautiful moments in her life, but that moment, them surrounded by poorly lit lanters and an almost desolate room with dozens of tables decorated with red tableclothes and lit golden candles on silver dishes sitting in the center of the table, would stay with her forever. The room smelled thickly of baked sweet potatoes and fried pies. She fought back the urge to go rigid when he buried his face in her hair. He groaned lowly and dug his fingers into her waist. She smelled like sunflowers. She always smelled like sunflowers, even when she was sitting across the room from him or walking by with that strange boy from division four that the other officers in her squad hated to see her with.

They danced until Oshiriku fell asleep against him. He didn't notice she was asleep until he heard her soft snores. "Oshiriku." He gently shook her. Her eyes opened quickly. He smiled at her and said, "Let me walk you home." They put on their gloves and left in haste. Oshiriku rested her head on his shoulder without thought. She felt so lazy and could only think about how wonderful it would be to be in her bed again.

When Ukitake stood on the doorstep with Oshiriku at his side, he began to wonder what he should do. He debated whether or not he should kiss her or just walk away with a smile. What would Shunsui do in a situation such as that? He frowned at the thought. Oshiriku kissed him on the cheek and disappeared behind the door. He stood at the door in shock. A smile graced his face as he walked away from the second largest house on the street. His hair flew behind him as the wind beat against him. Surprisingly, he felt unbelievably warm.


	6. Chapter 6

Oshiriku stood in the parlor silently with a notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other. Her father sat on the couch lecturing her about arriving home so late that when she woke others they could not manage to force themselves back to sleep. His voice was almost as stern as the cold gaze of his eyes. A deep inhalation of air rushed into her lungs, expanding her chest, before she relased it all out into the world again. A forced smile graced her face as she nodded. Again she inhaled and exhaled without taking her eyes from her father. Hadn't Urahara promised her that practicing those silly breathing techniques would help her when she needed it? Her feet began to tingle as she continued to stand in the center of the room as her father walked around with his right wrist grasped by his left hand behind his back. He glanced at her to make sure she was paying apt attention to him. Little did he know, his daughter had been trained very well by her cousin and friend on how to appear interested in something, but have her mind on something completely different.

As a matter of fact, the only thing, or rather person, Oshiriku could think about was the handsome Ukitake. Over the time they'd spent together before last night she'd occasionally called him Stormy and made him blush furiously. She'd resigned herself to calling him that only when they were alone or she was writing him a letter only he would read. Some part of her was sure her captain knew she had the nickname for her friend. Was he her friend or were they more? He had began spending a lot of time with her, even going as far as to practice fighting against her at some times. Oshiriku hated fighting him because he was too fast and too advanced for her. After all, she'd only been at the school for thirty years.

The room was pleasantly silent. Her eyes went round as she searched for her father's familiar figure, but instead only found an empty room. She relaxed with a loud sigh, dropping her pencil in the process. The door slid open, and she stood straight with a frown, which she quickly covered with a blank expression. Her mother walked to the window adjacent to her and pretended to be interested in something in the yard. Nanuri's face looked so calm and peaceful that her daughter almost forgot her mother's sickness for a moment. Oshiriku sighed and silently wished she was outside instead of in the house receiving lectures from her parents.

She was most sure her mother would tell her that it was best if she left school so she could finally understand what it meant when one was a woman raised in nobility. Instead, her mother looked at her surprised and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"You aren't going to lecture me?" Oshiriku raised her eyebrows when Nanuri shook her head. The girl was truly surprised; perhaps her mother didn't feel so well that day. Either way, she hugged her mother tightly in excitement. She smiled widely before running from the room and up the stairs to her bedroom.

The door closed silently behind her as it slid into place. Her feet moved swiftly across the room so that she deposited her notebook in one of the black bags sitting on the floor beside her bed. The air in her room was drafty, but she would tell one of the servants to light the fireplace some time later. She pulled her kimono off and fell onto the bed face first with a loud sigh. The feel of the sun pouring through the window onto her naked back made her groan into her pillow. She sat up straight when she heard her window opening.

Yoruichi smiled at her as she eased through the window. She was dressed in dark brown pants and an orange shirt. Her purple hair was in a messy ponytail. Her golden eyes scanned the room slowly until they fell on her naked cousin lying on the bed. Yoruichi smiled for she had been doing the exact same thing three hours ago, but on a rock with Urahara beside her. He hadn't been naked, but he wasn't the one who felt confined when he wore clothes. She made a show of tossing Oshiriku the pink kimono on the floor and sitting on the bed. Oshiriku shoved the kimono off of her before lying flat on her stomch again. Yoruichi stared down at the tattoo on her cousin's left shoulder blade. It was a feather with lines to illustrate gusts of wind: a feather dancing in the wind.

"So, what happened with Jushiro last night?" Yoruichi spoke softly. Her eyes remained on the door for a moment. She frowned at the stupid expression on her cousin's face. "Uhh did you two get it on?"

"Yoruichi! How could you ask something so--"

"Interesting? I have a knack for it. Besides, most of the people in the eleventh division thinks you guys are getting it on anyway. The girls are so jealous." She chuckled. Her eyes remained on the door. "Don't you find him attractive?"

Oshiriku stared at Yoruichi blankly. That was one of the most stupid questions someone had ever asked her. "I want to know he feels as deeply for me as I do him."

Yoruichi smiled. "You romantic."

"Yeh. Well, you and Kisuke don't ex--"

"Come in, Kanna. No need to stand at the door straining yourself to listen."

"I was trying to ignore her." Oshiriku slid on her kimono just as the door opened.

Her younger sister stood there, face pale brown, with a smirk on her face. Her curly black hair was wild on her head as she bounced into the room. After casting a smirk at her sister, she sat down on the floor in front of Yoruichi. Unlike her older sister, Kanna had a sick sense of humor and enjoyed cutting Oshiriku whenever she bothered to offer to help her sibiling prepare to enter school. Oshiriku found Kanna tiring and most annoying of the twins. Although Yaazo would be a beast about some things, he did not go as far as to attack her while she was adjusting her practice attire or her hair. No, all those silly things were left up to Kanna to do, and she always had that stupid smirk on her face.

"Sis. Cousin. How do things fair?" Her golden eyes twinkled.

Oshiriku pretended to be interested in how many purple stars were on her wall, but Yoruichi smiled and replied, "Great. Sorry to tell you, but Oshi and I are going to visit my friend. We would invite you, but he hates when someone shows up uninvited."

Oshiriku rolled her eyes; Kisuke welcomed anyone with a brain to his current hotel room. He had to be one of the most accepting people she knew. She was sure he would someday become a captain and have a squad that would be most magnificent among them. Well, second to Ukitake's and Shunsui's of course. She laughed at the thought and dug around in the box on the table as Yoruichi made another attempt to explain to Kanna how it would be rude for her to show up at someone's house unexpected. _It's pointless._ Oshiriku stared at Yoruichi in the mirror, trying to send her thr message telepathically. She brushed her hair slowly, enjoying it because she hadn't brushed it in nearly three weeks. For some odd reason, Shunsui-san found it increasingly important to take her along on hollow missions and have her watch. She did enjoy killing hollows and all the s tudying they required, but she enjoyed having long hot baths and being able to brush her hair more. If her workload was so heavy, how could Ukitake, a captain, manage to have such silky hair?

"Yo! We gotta go in about five minutes. So, brush up. Let's go." Yoruichi grabbed her by the wrist when she decided Oshiriku's hair was smooth enough. Damn, Kanna was going to talk to her to death.

They walked down the street in silence, Oshiriku thinking about fresh cut lavender and Yoruichi thinking about how fun it would be to walk back to the school in her cat form as Urahara walked beside her. Oshiriku slapped her on the arm before breaking into a quick run. Yoruichi realized seconds later that her cousin had just challenged her to a game of tag. The disappeared and reappeared along the street, scaring some of the people walking from the shops. They were both smiling with gleams in their eyes. Oshiriku caught Yoruichi three times before admitting defeat. Wow, either she had gotten slower or her cousin had gotten really faster. Oshiriku pulled the hood on her cloak over her head as they approached a large house of nobility.

"Ahh, that's the Kuchiki clan. The son is four years behind Kanna and Yaazo. He's most annoying."

"Yoruichi- san!" A male voice rang in the air. Oshiriku and Yoruichi stopped walking in unison. A boy with long black hair and a beautiful face came from the house dressed in a black kimono. "Who is this?"

"My cousin. Oshiriku this is Kuchiki Byakuya. He's the heir to everything with their last name on it. He'll be entering the school next term. Hey, Byakuya-san, why don't you come to the hotel three streets north then four east and hang out with us later on. We'll take good care of you, sweet cheeks." Yoruichi pinched his cheeks. She disappeared when he made a dash for her. "You'll never catch me."

Oshiriku laughed. "Nice meeting you!" She shouted the compliment as she chased after her cousin.

Urahara was seated on the bed surrounded by dozens of notebooks and pencils. Oshiriku picked up one of them and began to read from it as she ate a shiny red apple someone had left on the table. Yoruichi was stretched out on the floor with a strange smile on her face as she read through the morning paper. Oshiriku choked on a piece of apple as she stared at the notes in the book. How in the hell did Urahara figure it would make sense to create and train souls to kill hollows? Urahara gently took the notebook from her and replaced it with a book of poetry he'd been reading from earlier. Oshiriku frowned down at the haikus and burst into laughter at the handwritten haiku someone had scribbled in the corner of the book. Urahara turned dark red as he made an attempt to grab the book, but Oshiriku pulled away from him in time. When Yoruichi looked at them over the paper, Oshiriku turned the page and gave Urahara a quick wink. He smiled widely at her before turning his attention back to his notebooks.

Ishirio, Kaien, Kuukaku, and Byakuya arrived at the same time. Either that or someone hadn't bothered to knock on the door loud enough so the people laughing and shouting inside could hear them. Yoruichi had gotten rid of her clothes and was shamelessly prancing around in a thin midthigh gown someone had bought her as a gift. Oshiriku would have bet any amount of money Urahara had bought the gown. After all, he was the one who told her no color went more beautifully with her her eyes than dark green.

So, Oshiriku was the one to let in their late arriving friends. Sake was on the table, and Urahara had taken out a deck of cards. Byakuya and Kaien stood in front of the door in shock as Ishirio tripped into a spot beside Oshiriku who clumsily gave him a kiss on the cheek after downing a cup of sake. Urahara actually drank from his own container as Kuukaku instantly killed three shots. The five older people in the room got engaged in a intense battle of cards that involved people removing their clothes with each miss the person with the lowest number. Kaien and Byakuya had resigned themselves to sitting on one of the beds and talking about how they'd done at the academy.

Yoruichi was the first person to be completely naked, but then again, she was the only person sitting at the table dressed in only a night dress. Urahara and Ishirio found it impossible to take their eyes off her body. They were soon undressed down to their underpants. It was Kuuaku who gulped another shot of sake and shouted a victory cry as she slammed her cards on the table. Oshiriku laughed, but showed her cards as well. Hit. Kuukaku happily reminded the other four people at the table that she could not undress in front of her brother. Urahara managed to pull his eyes from Yoruichi long enough to redirect Kuukaku's statement with the fact that Kaien was seated on the bed with his back to them. Kuukaku accused Oshiriku of cheating, which enraged Yoruichi because Kuukaku's accusing Oshiriku of cheating meant she was insulting the Shihouin name.

Kaien suggested he take his sister home because she had obviously had too much to drink. The others agreed and bid them farewell. Oshiriku was slightly disappointed she hadn't gotten a chance to speak with him because she hadn't seen him in so long, but her attention was directed back to the game when Urahara knocked over a shot of sake in an attempt to grab Yoruichi. Byakuya stood wide eyed staring them in horror. Oshiriku invited him over to join them, but he said he did not know how to play.

They ended the night some hours later after showing Byakuya how to play(cheat) and teaching him the rules of the game. Oshiriku left a sleeping Yoruichi, who was snoring too loudly to actually be asleep, on Urahara's bed. She, Byakuya and Ishirio walked down the street singing loudly about a girl who'd ran away from her family to return years later and find they had all been killed by the evil emperor. Ishirio lifted Oshiriku in the air and ran around the street with her flapping her arms wildly over his head. Byakuya fell behind them with a red face. The friends found the boy completely boring and without any sense of humor.

First of all, he had refused to drink sake with them because there were only four cups. Ishirio and Oshiriku offered to share a cup and let him use the extra one. He'd politely told them he couldn't. Yoruichi had rolled her eyes and called him a noble brat while Urahara gazed at him with a strange smile. Oshiriku thought maybe Urahara was thinking about how he'd like to cut that bastard down for thinking less of them and also for staring at Yoruichi's breasts.

Second, Byakuya had not laughed at anything anyone in the room said unless it was Yoruichi or Urahara speaking. Oshiriku found it very annoying that the boy laughed at three word sentences and corny jokes about sandals. After all, Urahara had three pairs of sandals and neither of them were actually green or covered in glitter. Although, the picture of Urahara in a orange kimono with his blond hair pinned up with pink lipstick and shiny stilted sandals did make her laugh until she'd almost wet herself.

Ishirio clutched Oshiriku against him protectively. They realized half way to the house that Ishirio would have no place to go after she went inside. Oshiriku opted to just let her friend stay in one of the spare rooms. She was sure her parents wouldn't mind. After all, she'd brought Ishirio over numerous times since she'd first met him during exams. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow; she did the same after making her way into her own bedroom.

Her parents didn't say anything to her about Ishirio being there. They spoke to him and engaged him in conversation at the breakfast table. Oshiriku found it fear inspiring that her parents were being so nice to her uninvited friend. Kanna even behaved and wiped that strange smirk off her face. Oshiriku did not realize until the gate leading them into the school was closing that Kanna had been on perfect behavior when Ishirio was around. She laughed at the thought of her younger sister having a crush on her friend. Ishirio was an attractive man, but she was sure her father would not allow Kanna to marry someone who had such little fighting skill. As a matter of fact, Oshiriku had taken it upon herself to train Ishirio in her free time just so he would have some way of protecting himself. Sadly, her friend was more in depth with kidou than swinging around a sword.

She did not see Yoruichi or Urahara the entire first day back, but that was common considering they were in different divisions. It wasn't until she was sitting in Shunsui's room with the itinerary for the following weeks did she realize she hadn't seen Ukitake either. With her dark eyes still on the paper, she asked her captain about his friend.

"He's here. Just been busy lately. Aside from that, there are rumors you're going to marry Ishirio Kotogotoku."

Oshiriku's face turned dark blue. "Why would I marry Koto-san?!"

Her captain shrugged. "Someone said it."

Oshiriku sniffled and rubbed her nose. "You shouldn't believe such bull." She stared daringly into her captain's eyes before looking back down at the paper in her hand and making changes. She wished she could find whomever had spread that dirty rumor so that she could punch them right good in the eye.

"Mikabozu was telling some of his peers how he'd seen you two getting buddy in the street as some other stupid noble boy watched in disgust."

"We were drunk." She groaned into her palms. "He only lifted me into the air and I flapped my arms. We were dancing." Her hands turned into fists. She would show Mikabozu not to start dirty rumors about her and expect not to be punished.

"You know, it is best sometimes to ignore things such as this. If you show any emotion, they will think it true."

Oshiriku calmed herself using the counting method Urahara had taught her. She continued with her work until it was pitch black outside. She fell asleep on the floor beside Shunsui's futon. He sat down beside her and watched her sleeping soundly.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't anything related to bleach. Again, the plot and a few of the characters are mine. There's some heavy stuff in the middle of this chapter. Kiddies beware.

The winter days faded into spring; the spring days brought with them beautiful flowers and people acting strangely. For instance, Urahara and Yoruichi had a falling out about that Byakuya kid. They didn't speak to one another for an entire month, which basically ruined Oshiriku's and Ishirio's free days. On the free nights she had, she did begin to learn more about her captain. She even went as far one time as to simply call him Shunsui, but he did not complain when she said it. He told her that he rather enjoyed the sound of his name coming from her mouth. Oshiriku had blushed and made an attempt to leave, but was kept back when he said he needed her to put the names of people vying to get into their division in alphabetical order.

On other free nights, when Shunsui wasn't plaguing her with work his lieutenant should have been doing, she would sit in silence in Ukitake's room watching him write letters home or sharpen his blade or read through some book Captain Yamamato had sent him. She was pretty sure Ukitake read the books because he enjoyed them, rather than when her captain openly admitted he hated reading the boring books. He read them because sometimes the old man gave them tests and said they would be demoted if they didn't do excellent. So, to most of the captains' chagrin, they read the books with pressed lips.

It was a particularly cool spring night when Oshiriku ran into Shunsui on his way to see Ukitake; the exact same place she was heading. She told him she'd gotten lost on her way back to her room. Shunsui frowned at her, but told her she could come along with him. The door was open when they arrived. Ukitake was sitting on the floor writing in a notebook and flipping through pictures of kido spells. He smiled at Oshiriku, but ignored his old friend standing behind her. Shunsui took this as an insult, but instead of outright calling his friend on it, he went to work messing with the trinkets on Ukitake's table. Oshiriku sat on the floor near the corner with wide eyes as Shunsui drank half of whatever was in the yellow container on the floor beside the bed. She folded her legs underneath her and looked to Ukitake for a response, but the man just continued to write in his notebook as if they were the only two people there.

Shunsui sat down beside Oshriku with the container clasped in hand and three cups in the other. She realized it was sake the moment he slid a cup and motioned for her to drink. Who in their rabid mind could drink half a container of sake in just two gulps? Even Kuuaku couldn't achieve such a feat. She laughed nervously and lifted the cup to her lips.

"Don't drink it," Ukitake said without looking up from his notebooks. He sighed heavily and asked, "Kyoraku, what exactly do you want?"

"I'm bored."

"Well, why don't you go out and do what you regularly do." Ukitake flashed his friend a smile.

"But those women are real easy. Hey, did you hear Captain Baishin went berserks and tried to kill the officer with him yesterday during a battle with some hollows? He's being held in--"

"Do you really think it appropriate to talk about such things in front of an officer?" Ukitake frowned at Shunsui.

Shunsui laughed and punched Oshiriku in the arm softly. Then he said something that made Oshiriku feel as if he actually saw her. He shrugged and said, "They should be aware of things just as we are. Right, Oshi-chan?" Oshiriku's eyes widened. Her cheek flared dark red before she nodded and eased away from the slightly drunken man on her right.

"You are aware that you have to teach an advanced zanjutsu class tomorrow?" Ukitake stared at the other man blankly. Shunsui shrugged and said something about most of the people in that class would have hangovers anyway. Oshiriku laughed into her hands. She'd had the pleasure of seeing and hearing the students complain and groan about her captain speaking too loud or moving too fast when in actuality all he'd done was cough while taking a step. Ukitake smiled. "You know Yamamato hates when you turn in grades and can't explain them."

"Gotcha. Gotta keep the old man satisfied. Fine, I'll leave you two alone and go drink on my lonesome." He gulped down the cup of sake he'd given Oshiriku. He patted her on the cheek. "Take care of him."

Oshiriku stared at her intoxicated captain confused, but didn't bother to say anything as he stumbled out of the room. "He's really something."

Ukitake looked down at his notes. "He's not even drunk. What an actor." Oshiriku stared at him with a smile on her face. Ukitake blushed and added, "He just wanted to see what we did in here."

She squatted so that she was on her knees. Her lips spread into a smile that made Ukitake's stomach tighten. She crawled towards him slowly, the yellow kimono she wore opening slightly at the neck. "How does he know I come here?"

"He saw you once." The words were whispered. Oshiriku pressed her lips against his gently. Her lips pressed a kiss against his cheek and then his neck. She sat back on her knees again. Ukitake closed the books and slid them towards the door. He grabbed her shoulders and pressed their lips together hard. Their tongues brushed and Oshiriku trembled against him. She fell onto her back with him lying directly on top of her, and their lips were still locked. Ukitake kissed her softly on the neck. His lips made a trail all the way down to where her kimono was open further than usual. Oshiriku smiled at him as he pulled on the silky white obi holding her clothes in place.

They never had actually done anything more than kiss one another, but Oshiriku offered no words of objection as Ukitake slowly moved her kimono aside. Her brown eyes shined heatedly when his lips touched her chest. She bit into her lisp to stop herself from moaning. His tongue teased her left nipple as his finger playfully pinched the other. His tongue flicked across the left nipple before he sucked at her breast playfully. She smiled widely and buried her fingers in his hair. His tongue trailed from her breast down to the hair between her legs. The index finger on his right hand followed the wet path his tongue had made seconds earlier. He kissed her on her inner thigh. Oshiriku's eyes widened at the feel of his tongue inside of her.

She wanted to tell him to stop and keep going at the same time. Instead, her mouth clamped shut and her back arched towards him. His warm hands gently squeezed her breasts as his tongue pleasured her. Her body temperature had risen well beyond what it normally was and she could no longer control the way her hips moved. She could feel some part of her body on the inside tightening. It was her mind that worried her the most. She felt like she was flying in search of something important. Again, she felt her body tighten in apprehension. She silently prayed she found it before her mind and the unbearable heat drove her insane. Her hands gripped his arms and she cried out when a flood of ecstasy rushed over her. She'd found it; it was the most amazing feeling she'd ever had. Her body was tightening and relaxing at the same time.

His face appeared above hers smiling. He pressed their lips together again and lifted her left leg with his right hand. Oshiriku clumsily pulled his clothes off as they continued to kiss. She wanted him so badly. Her body felt as if it was on fire every time his fingers touched her skin. It was almost unbearable. Ukitake dug his fingernails into the flesh of her thighs and smiled at her again. "You want me to stop?"

Oshiriku stared lovingly into his eyes and kissed him. Their tongues met again and her body began to ache with a need to feel release again. She repositioned herself so that their lower bodies met. Her eyes widened. She had never felt, let alone seen, a naked man before. Her heart beat wildly in her. She wrapped her arms around her neck and her legs around his waist. "Dance with me." The words were breathy and almost inaudible. He pressed his lips against hers again, but Oshiriku felt the fear building in her heart and the lust in the lower part of her body. A small part of her regretted saying the words the moment she felt him at her entrance. _I'm going to die._ She tried to push the words away, but they stayed at the front of her mind as he slowly pushed inside of her. Something she didn't know existed tore the moment he was far enough inside of her. Their lips met when he thought she would scream. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his back. He deepened the kiss as he pushed until all of him was inside of her. She trembled underneath him. He moved slowly at first, trying to make sure he didn't hurt her any worse.

The feel of being inside of her made him feel as if the world was revolving around what was happening in that room. His hands rested above her head and he thrust into her roughly. Oshiriku cringed each time, but her body moved with his. Why was it hurting so much? His long hair fell over them in a white curtain that distracted her. Her thoughts melted away and all she could feel was pleasure beyond anything she'd ever experienced, even the first time she'd ridden a horse. Her hips moved against his desperately in an attempt for her to achieve quicker pleasure. They kissed again when the second wave of pleasure slammed into her. He turned her over onto her stomach and kissed her on the shoulder as he pushed into her again. She pressed her face into the pillow as moans and screams of pleasure came from her mouth. Ukitake pulled the pins and ribbon from her hair so that it fell down her back and onto the bed in waves. He grabbed a handful and used it to pull her back against him.

They lay on his bed in silence as the candle on his table burned brightly. Oshiriku rested her head on his chest and said softly, "In one of the books I took from Kisuke, there are haikus about how beautiful love is. I do not remember there being a poem for this." She looked into his dark gray eyes and smiled widely. "How is it you can make my body your slave? Your eyes are like the most calm storm clouds I have ever seen." She pressed a kiss against his naked chest. Her words were jumbled as his hand slid down her back to rest on her behind. She smiled up at him as the words slowly formed in her mind. "I find it okay to tell you I love you now. For my body has become yours and no other man will touch me from this moment on. Be it my will. I will love you even after I have ceased to exist on this plane."

Ukitake smiled at her widely. "And I am honored to say I love you as well. I'm not so poetic."

Oshiriku laughed and kissed him. She hugged him tightly and whispered, "Those words are more heavenly than any poem."

She woke up the next morning when it still dark out. She kissed him softly on the cheek before leaving so she could sneak back into her room. A black cat lay curled up in the middle of her room on the plum colored rug her mother had bought her for her last birthday. "Not ever year a girl turns one hundred and fifty." Her mother had said annoyingly. Oshiriku sat down beside the cat and gently stroked it's fur. The animal stirred. Golden eyes stared into chocolate eyes for what felt like eternities. She picked the cat up with a smile and cradled it against her.

"It was amazing, Yoruichi." Oshiriku blushed after realizing she was choking the animal. She let the cat go.

Yoruichi quickly changed into her normal form. A frown covered her face as she pulled on her kimono. "You don't have to kill me, you know. Jeeze, Oshi! Wait, what was amazing?" Yoruichi stared at her cousin suspiciously.

Oshiriku stood and dropped her kimono to the floor. Yoruichi's mouth fell open. Oshiriku twirled around naked with her arms in the air. "It was so beautifully painful."

"I see the bruises. I've been here worried about you… and you were off someplace getting sexy with a man!"

Her cousin wore that round-eyed expression Urahara loved so much. Oshiriku scoffed, reminding them both of Nanuri. They burst into laughter. Oshiriku sat on her mat gently; there was still slight pain between her legs. "You should have said you were coming to see me." She slid her sandals and socks off before lying flat on her back. Yoruichi rolled her eyes at the naked Oshiriku as she turned towards the wall. Oshiriku frowned and sat up in fear. Her cousin had suddenly gotten very serious. She took a deep breath. "Yoruichi, what is it?"

"Your mother…"

"Yoru-chan! What is it?!" She shrieked.

Yourichi bit down on her tongue hard. This was the worst news she'd ever had to deliver to someone in her own family. "Nanuri-san is dead, killed by arrancar Iki Nare yesterday eve during a--"

"WHAT?!" Oshiriku clutched Yoruichi's arm shakily. She wrapped her arms around the shorter girl with widened eyes. "How could this happen? Where were the death gods? Where was my father?"

"Nanuri-chan liked to shop in the human world for--"

"Kimonos."

"Iki Nare is notorious for killing aristocrats, whether they be women or men or spirit or gigai or human." For the first time in many years, she looked down at her cousin. She blinked and said, "I am sorry. Even worse I regret to say that he is still on the move." Oshiriku cried into the cloth of Yoruichi's uniform. The purple haired woman stood still until it was light out, but her cousin still cried into her pants leg. She kneeled in front of her cousin. "Oshi-san, your father will be leaving town after the ceremony this Saturday. We are not free on that day, but your captain can petition to Yamamato-sama so that you may be at the funeral. I already mentioned it to him."

Oshiriku stood. "Where is my father going?" She turned the water on in her bathroom so that it was steaming hot. She sat in the tub staring at the wall blankly. "Where?!" Had she heard Yoru-san correctly?

"The human world. He and your siblings will go there to live with aunt Tentoken." Yoruichi poured an entire bottle of lavender scented oil into the water. She handed Oshiriku a yellow cloth before sitting on the edge of the tub. "Sometimes, when the wind stops blowing a leaf, you'll find it still moves."

Yoruichi kissed Oshiriku on the cheek before leaving her alone. Oshiriku sat in the water until it was cold. She wrapped a thick towel around herself and fell onto her sleeping mat with a soft thud. Her eyes and body felt heavy when compared to earlier. Yoruichi would undoubtedly explain to her teachers what had happened. She didn't move when someone knocked at her door.

The door slid open and closed softly. Ishirio sat beside her quietly. He hesitantly rested a hand on her shoulder. Oshiriku turned to him with cold brown eyes, but he pulled her into a tight hug that took her by surprise. Her arms wrapped around his waist loosely as she rested her head on his shoulder. He understood.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I don't anything related to bleach. Again, the plot and a few of the characters are mine.

He never left her side. People whispered about the two of them at school and during the funeral. Why was Shihouin Oshiriku clinging to the tall boy with the green hair and gentle eyes? He stayed in her room with her until it was decided she would go to the funeral. He sat in the corner as she cried with Ukitake and he calmed her. Most people would have decided that is was okay to leave then because his best friend's lover had arrived, but he'd reasoned Ukitake would leave sooner or later. It in fact was much later than sooner, but he knew in his heart the only reason the man left was because he had suddenly been overtaken with a fit of coughs. Oshiriku had ran to his side and held a cup of water for him until he was done. She ignored the blood on his handkerchief, even going as far as to kiss him the moment he lowered the cup. They sat holding one another for more hours than Ishirio cared to remember.

The funeral was one of the worst things Ishirio had ever experienced. He was placed in the line with the family, but right behind Oshiriku's aunt and her children. Kuuaku and Kaien were on either side of him. Behind them was a short line of women and men Nanuri had been acquainted with. The procession was tiring, the ceremony dull and long, and the incense lighting useless. What was the use in lighting incense for a killed spirit? Ishirio pondered the question even after he left the temple.

It was during the dinner after the burial that he met Nanuri's family. They were a large group of people with brown eyes and light brown skin. All of them had long curly black hair and wore beautifully colored attire that Ishirio did not recognize. He asked Oshiriku about it later to find that her mother had been a gypsy.

Oshiriku sat alone at a round table with her shoes off and a confused expression on her face. Ishirio turned back to the conversation between Kaien and Byakuya when he saw Urahara and Ukitake sit at the table with her. All he wanted was for her to not feel as if she was alone in this. He didn't really add input in the conversation more than listen to it. No, he had no idea what the longhaired man was talking about when he said something about a princess. There were princesses in the spirit world? Ishirio listened attentively, ignoring the glares and stares from older people he did not know or just couldn't remember ever being introduced to. He did, on the other hand, entertain Oshiriku's three aunts and uncle. They complained about how boring it was.

As always, it was Oshiriku who motioned to the violinist and cellist to began playing upbeat music. The moment his best friend grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the floor he knew she was fine. They twirled in the center of the room, causing a large disturbance in the wind pressure. Urahara pulled the two apart and took Ishirio outside to talk to him. Were they trying to destroy the entire building? Ishirio had smiled as if he was drunk as Urahara led him out the room. Oshiriku frowned at the blond man leading Ishirio away, but was quickly swept into a dance by her father. They laughed as they twirled, and Oshiriku did not feel as if she was the only person pouring out bits of energy to increase the speed. Her father lifted her into the air the exact second the last cord was struck. She wrapped her arms around his neck and told him how much she loved him.

School felt different after that weekend. Oshiriku paid more attention in kido class and struggled harder to improve her skills with her zanpakuto. She even took to ignoring Mikabozu's insults whenever he saw her walking alone. She was quieter, but she worked better than she had before. Ishirio allowed her to bask in her quietness and depression sometimes. He figured it was well worth it let her handle the loss on her own.

What was death anyway? Oshiriku lay on Ukitake's futon with a thin blanket draped over her naked skin. Her eyes stared at the ceiling as she formulated several answers to the question. Ukitake kissed her on the cheek and rested his head on her breasts. What if Ukitake died? Was it her destiny to fall in love with a man who could die whenever he got too sick to move? She cradled his head and gently stroked his hair. His fingertips brushed her arm softly. What was death? Those eyes stared into his, daring him to answer her. He raised his eyebrows before resting his head on her chest again. Oshiriku simply stared into his hair.

"When I was younger, my mother died. She was a shinigami, trained by her father because she was his only offspring. She met my father when she was helping poor people in rukongai control their spiritual energies. He was the first student in her class. I mean he was the only one to show up the first day. Many years later they became friends. He finally became a shinigami and they worked together a lot. I was born first, then my sister, then a brother, my second sister, and finally four more boys. She died two years after my youngest brother was born. We didn't know what had killed her then. My father died five years after that. I take care of them, my brothers and sisters. When you ask me what death is…" His voice trailed off. "When you ask me what death is I can only think on rigid corpses of my parents and emptiness and loss beyond comprehension. I wanted to die. It was my oldest sister, decades behind me, who told me I had to care for them. She was twelve years old then. But whenever I think I will die, it is always when my fevers are high and I cannot stop the blood from coming every time I cough."

"But you've had this sickness for a long time."

"A few years before I began training."

Oshiriku kissed him on his forehead. "I'm glad you are here with me." She suddenly remembered she had to take Shunsui her reports on her squad members. She hastily put on her clothes and gave Ukitake a lingering kiss before bounding out of his room.

As soon as she turned the corner she ran into a strong figure. She took a step back and attempted to sidestep with a weak apology. A hand clamped down on her wrist. "Where are you coming from?"

"Delivering a note to the thirteenth division lieutenant. Is that okay with you?"

His eyes grew dark. "Fine. It's just that I know you're lying. I also know you're not supposed to be out at this tim--" He fell against her and onto the floor.

"I ahh was on my way from the library and saw you two."

Oshiriku laughed and took Ishirio's hand so that they ran all the way to her room. She had him stay there as she took her reports to her snoring captain. He sat slouched in his chair with his feet on the desk. His snores appeared to have gotten louder when she entered the room. Oshiriku licked her lips and gently shook him. Shunsui blinked in a bored manner and stared at her blankly. What the hell was she doing there? She slid her stack of papers towards him. Shunsui rolled his eyes.

"Put them in the folder, Oshiriku-chan. I don't have to see them. On the other hand, you will be inspecting the other nineteen squads' reports."

Oshiriku nodded; she hadn't expected anything less. Sometimes, she truly did wonder what his lieutenant did. "Yes, sir."

"I-what the hell are you doing here?" Shunsui said to someone standing in the doorway. Oshiriku glimpsed Mikabozu out the corner of her eye. She felt her stomach flutter in apprehension that he was in fact there to tell where she had just come from. Considering that her hair was straight down her back instead of its usual high bun, she was pretty sure her captain would believe him. She wanted to badly to reach up and make sure her hair was in place, but she didn't.

"Your third officer attacked me, sir." He stared at the back of her head angrily.

"Is that all?" Shunsui asked with a yawn.

"She attacked me when I caught her coming from Captain Ukitake's room."

Shunsui sighed. "Did you see her leaving his room?"

"No, but she was in that direct--"

"Well, you shouldn't spread such fruitless rumors, Kazuguya. For if you do, you will find Ukitake is not as easy as he looks." Shunsui yawned again. He picked up his hat and waved Oshiriku away from him. "She didn't hit you anyway."

"She was the only person present."

"Here five decades before this girl and still she surpasses you. Come, Oshiriku, and when you get to your room, tell Ishirio thank you when you arrive."

Mikabozu's mouth fell open. "Healer nerd hit me?! Why that piece shit!"

Shunsui touched Oshiriku gently on the shoulder. Mikabozu disappeared from the doorstep. Shunsui knew she wondered why he'd done that, but he also knew that she knew how it would look if people found out about her and Ukitake. She bowed to him lowly before walking to her room.

Ishirio was sitting on her sleeping mat with one of her magazines in hand. She dropped down beside him loudly. He pointed to an article on the arts of zanjutsu on the same page with an article on boiling cabbage. She rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes. Ishirio's spirit energy remained next to hers until she fell asleep. He left with a soft click of her door closing. Oshiriku readjusted so that she lay on her stomach with her head resting on her hands. A soft pain rose in her side, but she did not roll over; Ishirio knew she could fall asleep only if lying on her stomach. And besides, she had gotten accustomed to ignoring those pains.

She had a dream. She and shinigami she did not recognize were fighting in the snow in the Forest of Satiety. They were both damaged beyond further fighting, but they continued on. It was Oshiriku who fell first. Her body hit the ground hard like a full box of lead nails. The other person kneeled beside her and touched her face gently. Three seconds later, he or she collapsed beside Oshiriku's body. Snow began to fall again. Someone with long white hair dressed in a silver kimono walked towards them with his head lowered. Her body was rolled over. Her dying gaze stared into eyes so familiar: eyes that reminded her of a midday storm. His lips pressed into hers and she felt all the coldness leave her. She was floating above her body. She smiled to herself, but screamed when she looked down to see her white haired savior gently holding her limp body.

She was covered in sweat. Stumbling over her own feet and blanket, she ran to the bowl of water on her table and splashed her face. Her body trembled as she leaned over the bowl counting. The cool air from outside blew in through little holes she punched in the paper of her windows. She reached for her blanket, but froze in her tracks; Ishirio was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked the question with a bewildered look.

Oshiriku nodded hesitantly as she dropped to her knees and covered herself with the thin blanket. Her black hair was tangled; her head brushed the pillow several times before she closed her eyes again. What the hell was Ishirio doing in her room so late anyway? She had neither the energy nor the heart to tell him to get out. Her hand traveled from her arm to a place on her stomach. It pressed the place lightly, and she winced. Ishirio rested his head against the wall again so that he could fall asleep, but he looked down at his best friend when her wet palms clamped down on his arm. He lay down beside her quietly. Trembling, she turned to him. Her face buried into the nape of his neck, but she did not allow herself to cry in front of him.

It wasn't that she hated her mother or the people her mother had been born from. What she hated was the idea of what probably actually happened to her mother the day she died. Oshiriku lay staring at her mother's picture as Ishirio fell asleep beside her. Her hand clutched his shirt, but she could not stop her body from shivering. She relaxed against Ishirio when his arms enveloped her in a hug that she had waited so long to feel. She didn't hate her mother or the people that bore her mother. She did not even hate the idea that maybe sometimes people made decisions for the wrong reasons and others assumed the wrong things because that person was in a high position. Honestly, she couldn't think of much to hate at that moment, not even the pain stabbing her in the stomach.

She was distant over the three weeks after he'd slept in her room beside her on the floor. He figured perhaps he'd made her feel as if she had to do things to make him feel needed or wanted. That was probably the reason. So, going against the voice in his heart, he began talking with the blue haired girl he liked so much. He spent a lot of time with her. To his dismay, Oshiriku seemed to have not noticed; she was more indulged in her course work. The stress was making her pale. He wanted her to see he could be independent of her; he didn't want her to think he no longer wanted to care for her.

He found her sitting on a bench in one of the gardens with her hands clasped on her lap. She took a deep breath, winced from pain, and released the air. Her index finger flicked away a tear; she sat back on her hands. She pressed her lips together so tightly that the skin above them was almost white. Her lips tremble as she sat straight and released a sob that sounded so…pitiful.

Ishirio took a loud step forward. Oshiriku stared at him with cold brown eyes. He thought the emotion would let up after she realized it was he, but she continued to gaze at him angrily. "Why are you crying?"

"Not today, Koto-san," she whispered. Her upper teeth sunk into the flesh of her lower lip.

"Oshiriku, what is wrong?" He stared at her the way he'd looked at her that night so many weeks before. He reached for her, but she snatched away, nearly falling from the bench she sat on.

"Please, don't."

"I…" his voice disappeared. His heart tightened in fear as he stared at the small trail of blood sliding down her chin. She stared at him in horror as her right hand shakily wiped the blood away. "Oshi-san, who has done this?"

She closed her eyes. Ishirio had suddenly begun to sway wildly in the nonexistent wind. She shook her head weakly before standing and walking away from him. He ran after her, but she disappeared and reappeared feet ahead of him. When he ran, she disappeared again and reappeared at a further distance. He stood at the opening of the garden with a defeated expression as his best friend walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN**: I don't own any Bleach characters. Although, **I wish I owned Ukitake**. Hahaha. Spells taken directly from manga.

"Why do you look so pale?" Ukitake pressed his hand against her face. Oshiriku smiled at him, and his fear that he had somehow caused this melted away. He cradled her in his arms as they sat on the floor in his room reading from yet another book Yamamato had given him. Ukitake rolled over onto his stomach and reached for Oshiriku to do the same, but she didn't move. On the contrary, she stood and began walking towards the door. Ukitake appeared in front of her with a confused expression. He pulled her against him. "Are you okay?"

Their lips pressed together softly. His warm hands held her neck so gently that all she could think of was the first sweater she ever wore. It had been a dark purple that clung to her skin like bits of spirit energy. Ukitake's hand reminded her of the softness and durability of the material. A tear slowly slid down her cheek as she pressed her forehead against his cheek and slowly slid his hand into her kimono. Gently, she pressed his hand against her stomach. He went rigid. Oshiriku gazed into his eyes daringly before disappearing out the door. She went into her room after casting a weak spell to block all intruders from entering.

Her bed was gentle on her back; it always had been. She no longer shivered when she thought about what lay ahead for her. A black handkerchief sat on her table. She pressed it against her lip before putting it back. All she wanted was to be left alone. She stood at the window looking out into the darkness through one of the small holes. Ukitake laughed at the weak spell on the door, but he didn't dare try to intrude upon her. He just shook his head on his way past the door.

Oshiriku pressed her forehead against the cool wood. _When I stood behind someone promised death before me, I did not bother to glimpse it for I feared I would begin to hate it. How can I hate something that is inevitably a part of me? How can the ocean hate the sand or the moon? If it is only part of life to live and then to die… perhaps it is better to not have lived at all. For spirits are only bodies composed of sugar and death is a storm cloud. Storms are unavoidable. It rains when the sun shines. It even rains when the clouds are all white. If I were a white cloud in a perfectly blue sky, I would be with the other angels trying to decide the perfect place for me to rest before I disappeared._

Warm hands tickled her cheek. Her eyes flew open. Her fist collided with the man's chin as she jumped up. "How dare you!" She blinked her sleep away. "Captain! Ohh Shunsui-san I am so sorry." She sat him down in a chair and gave him a cup of tea as she went to change clothes.

He was flipping through one of Urahara's notebooks when she returned dressed in her black uniform. Shunsui placed the notebook on the table with a lingering look of interest. What was Oshiriku doing with Urahara's notebook anyway? "First, are you or are you not accompanying me and the twentieth seat to the human world. He wants practice with hollows. Why are you so pale?"

"I am ill." Her hand trembled as she gripped the brush. She hesitated to lift her hand above her shoulder. Shunsui stared at her blankly. The muscle in her jaw tightened as she lifted the brush to her hair and gave it five quick slides. She took a deep breath as she fumbled with the ribbons on her table. He took the white ribbon from her hand and did her hair into a tight bun, almost as good as hers usually were. They stared at one another in silence. "It's not the same illness."

"I know. Jushiro-san hurts in more places than one." Shunsui shrugged as he walked to the door. "You'll have to learn to fight around it or just succumb to it. Either way, you need to be in front of the library at noon. You will be accompanying me and Tokido Ashinditsu."

She watched as he opened the door. "Captain!" The man stood still for a moment. "Shunsui-san, I am grateful."

"So am I. My, who would have thought my lieutenant would be lazier than me?" He sighed as he closed the door behind him.

Oshiriku wondered the same thing. Shinenzu, the lieutenant, rarely even left his quarters if not for class and practice. She fastened her sword to her waist before staring at herself in the mirror. Her right hand trembled as it grasped the hilt of the sword in its sheath. She slowly pulled it out and held it in front of her so that her eyes could stare at it. A smile spread over her face after she twirled the sword a few times. Her mind began preparing her body for the pain even before she decided to lift the sword. With her eyes set cold and her face filled with determination, she lifted the sword in a defensive style pose. She slowly willed her body to move with each step she took. Her blade rode the wind like a hummingbird's wing. She put her sword back into its sheath and began to dance. It was all a matter of mind over body; she felt no pain when her arm lifted in the air during her dancing. She reasoned she would not feel any pain during fighting. After all, wasn't fighting just like dancing but faster? Her feet dragged on the floor as she walked towards the door.

It was a hot summer day. Yellow notebook clasped in left hand, Oshiriku walked to her first class. She saw Byakuya looking at her, but he did not bother to speak when she waved at him. Although she should have been more offended, she reasoned it was part of his nature to be so cold. Oshiriku continued on her way to class with her lips pouted as she wondered if the boy had even bothered to cry during the ceremony. Prince Byakuya. She laughed to herself.

"Finally, you have an emotion other than moping ghost," Ishirio said happily. He rested his hand on her shoulder playfully.

She punched him in the stomach and replied, "Koto-san, people are allowed to have more than three emotions!"

He nodded and handed her a piece of bread with honey on it. He watched her nibble on it out the corner of his eye. "Are you okay now?"

A large smile appeared on her face. She quickly gobbled the remaining of the toast. "I get to go fight hollows with Shunsui-san at noon!" She laughed and ran ahead of him.

Ishirio smiled as he ran after her. She had to be better if she was that excited over fighting a few hollows. Wait! "Hey, why do you get to fight hollows while we're stuck here? Why is your captain so cool?"

"He's only cool when he's not piling his lieutenant's work on me, Koto. At the rate he works me I'll be--"

"Good morning, Oshiriku-san," said a soft voice.

Oshiriku's eyes widened. She turned to Ukitake with a smile the muscles in her face and lips produced for only him. She bowed to him. "Captain. I'm glad to see you are well."

Ukitake nodded. "The same to you."

Oshiriku blushed from the long stare he gave her before he walked away. Ishirio pulled her forward by the elbow, telling her about how awesome Kusaruko Enriku was. It took Oshiriku several minutes to recall the girl's face, but she remembered her nonetheless. She was happy to know Ishirio had not stop living just because she'd given on the world for a short time. Her hand collided with his cheek hard before she ran into the gym. She was one of the first few people there. After a short conversation with her teacher, who'd already heard an inane story from Captain Shunsui, she sat in the front of the class with her legs folded underneath her. Her chin rested on her palm, but she did not exert too much pressure on her side.

The teacher had her fighting first that day. Of all days for her to be chosen, the worst part was that she had to fight her lieutenant. After all, she was in an advanced zanjutsu class. They picked up their wooden versions of swords and walked onto the floor smiling at one another. Shinenzu bowed to her, his shoulder length black hair falling forward. Oshiriku bowed to him as well. She raised her wooden sword the moment he disappeared. Her lieutenant's moves weren't as hard to follow as she thought they would be. As a matter of fact, she was faster than him by yards.

"I thought you were right handed," Shinenzu said gruffly. He slashed his sword towards her right side. Oshiriku winced as her right arm shot in the air, sword clad in hand. Although the pain was damn near unbearable, she held her sword in place stiffly. Shinenzu jumped back and smiled. "I saw that."

She threw her sword at him, taking him by surprise and hitting him on the shoulder with it. He fiercely attacked her; Oshiriku smiled as she twirled, bent, and flipped to evade his moves. Her foot slammed into his face. Hadn't she just thrown her sword at him? She rushed him with a flood of punches to the stomach and a roundhouse kick to the chest. He wasn't worthy to be lieutenant of anyone's squad. He hit her in the back and on the side with his sword, but Oshiriku pretended not to feel the sharp pain coursing from her abdomen all the way up to her chest. He swung at her right side again, but she caught his sword midair and broke it in half. They tossed the wood to the side at the same time, both of them smiling. He rushed at her with hand and foot attacks. She easily blocked his punches and kicks.

"Byakurai 4!" Shinenzu shouted angrily. The spell hit Oshiriku in the shoulder. She stepped back with a larger smile. Kidou?

"Ye Lord, Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man, Inferno and pandemonium. The sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Shakkaho 31!" Her voice resounded loudly. Shinenzu was so surprised she could use kidou that he did not move out the way in time. The red light tore through his side.

"We might as well have you fighting with swords! This is not kidou class. Although, I must commend Miss Shihouin on her advancement in her magic. Kusaruko, see to their wounds." The teacher said in an annoyed fashion. She looked around the room slowly. Oshiriku noted that she had chosen the lieutenant and third position from the eleventh division to fight one another as well. What was she getting at?

The girl with the short blue hair and large blue eyes smiled at Oshiriku widely she bandaged her shoulder wound. She was lieutenant for the fourth division. Oshiriku wanted to tell her that she was thankful she'd been with Ishirio while she was not feeling herself, but she refrained from talking. Kusaruko, on the other hand, told her how much she enjoyed watching her fighting and how much fun her best friend was. She even went as far to say she was happy Ishirio wasn't dating Oshiriku because she liked him a lot. Oshiriku eyes widened in surprise. She didn't have time to speak as the girl moved on to Shinenzu's wound.

Oshiriku sat in front of the library with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. She sipped her tea as she turned the page of the paper with a dumbfounded look on her face. It was true! Yoruichi had finally stepped into the position of general of the special corps. She looked into the cup of tea with a frown; it tasted funny. Ishirio had made it for her before he went to the cafeteria. He was her best friend and sure not to do anything harmful to her. She folded the paper neatly as she stood. After gulping down the remainder of the tea, she picked up her paper and set out to find her cousin so she could congratulate her.

"Oshiriku-san, where are you going?"

She turned around with a stupid expression on her face. Somehow, she'd managed to completely forget that she was going to the human world with Shunsui and Ashinditsu. She handed the paper and cup to a passing member of the fourth division. He gave her a bewildered look, but continued on his way when her brown eyes flashed him a glare. "Nowhere. I was waiting for you, sir." She smiled beautifully at him showing off her even white teeth.

Shunsui smiled back. "Let's go."

They followed him in silence. Oshiriku fingered the charm on the hilt of her sword as the man standing beside her hummed some one-verse song that was beginning to annoy her. She did not look up, however, until Shunsui told them it was time to go through the gate. They jumped in at the same time and landed squarely on their feet on the inside. Oshiriku wondered why no one had bothered to put lanterns around the dark tunnel as the walked to the other end. The air in the tunnel was thick and itching her throat. She coughed loudly as they stepped into the human world. Shunsui glanced at her out the corner of his eyes, but he did not say anything. Oshiriku wiped the spot of blood on her hand on her black kimono.

Ashinditsu walked beside Shunsui with his sword already unsheathed. Oshiriku smirked at him when he turned to see her standing feet behind them with her arms crossed over her chest. She jogged to catch up with them as they walked away. Shunsui nodded towards a small clutter of huts. Oshiriku could see the outline of the hollow before it appeared. She reached for her zanpakuto, but Shunsui motioned to her that it wouldn't be needed. He pointed a trembling Ashinditsu toward the hollow. When the boy, who was more than a century younger than Oshiriku, was out of earshot, Shunsui sighed.

"He's here to practice, not you. You were born into a world where you could watch your parents fight hollows, a world where you probably could have learned to fight hollows on your own if you had not come to our school. Don't interrupt unless he gets massive damage." Shunsui winked at her.

Oshiriku sat on the ground with her legs folded underneath her. Her brown eyes were glued to the figure running towards the medium sized hollow that was picking up a hut. A smiled appeared on her face when Ashinditsu's soul slayer slashed the hollow's arm off. The hut fell to the ground in a thick cloud of dust. Oshiriku frowned and shoved her captain out the way as a large black hand appeared behind them. Shunsui frowned; he'd been too distracted by Ashinditsu's fight to worry about other hollows being attracted to the boy's spirit energy. After all, he and Oshiriku were perfectionists when it came to concealing their spirit energy. He smiled as Oshiriku unsheathed her sword and killed the hollow all in one move. She pushed her sword back into its sheath before sitting back down and turning to Ashinditsu.

She didn't like the smell of the next village they walked to. The place was littered with starving children and trash. She knelt beside a pale girl with hair as black as her own. The girl's eyes were pale blue and they sparkled from the light of the sun. Oshiriku touched the girl's cheek gently. Those blue eyes widened in surprise. Oshiriku smiled down at the girl. For a moment, she thought the girl would die, but the girl hesitantly turned her head and looked her right in the eyes. Oshiriku smiled widely. She took the handkerchief from her pocket after she sat the girl up. Slowly, she wiped the dirt from the girl's face.

"We have a hollow up ahead." Shunsui dully. He looked down at Oshiriku wiping the girl's face. Oshiriku removed her own ribbon from her head and tied the girl's hair up neatly. She touched the girl on the cheek again before standing and nodding to her captain. Shunsui walked beside her deep in thought. "You could take her to the village we saw north of this one. Recall the one with the home for misplaced children?"

Oshiriku's eyes widened. "Why would I worry about that girl?"

"She reminds you of yourself, not in the way she was dirty, but her loneliness. The emptiness you saw in her eyes. You can take her, but hurry back because we will be leaving soon."

He squeezed her shoulder. Oshiriku watched him walk away. She turned on her heels before breaking into a fast run. The little girl sat in the same place. She looked beautiful with her hair on top of her head. Oshiriku held her hand out to the girl. Hesitantly, the girl took it and followed her as they walked away from the village she had been born into. Oshiriku didn't find it normal of herself to pity humans, but this little girl could see spirits. Also, she was a child starving on the roads in a place she had probably been born.

She held on to her hand tightly the entire walk to the village. Oshiriku knocked on the door and waited behind the girl for someone to open it.

"My name is Uuzakio Yuri." The girl looked up at her with a wide smile. Her small hand extended in a fist. Oshiriku shook her hand and saw that the girl had left a silver hairpin with a cherry blossom painted on it in her hand. The girl smiled weakly at the woman standing in the doorway of the house. The woman grinned at her and welcomed her inside. "Thank you!" The girl shouted to the air. The woman hesitated before closing the door. Perhaps the child had gone mad from hunger.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN**: I still don't own any of the characters from Bleach. **I DO WISH I OWNED UKITAKE**. Ha. Uhh I did make up the spell Ishirio uses to heal Oshiriku.

Oshiriku had had the dream come back to her again. She had told herself that she was prepared for death. The pain was bearable if she made it so. Although she'd managed to learn how to fight without anyone knowing she was in excruciating pain whenever she raised her right arm, she mostly fought with her left arm and restricted herself to only blocking and punching with her right arm if it was called for. Yoruichi spent as much free time with her as possible, telling her not to succumb to the sickness that ate at her. Her cousin knew the real reason why Nanuri had died.

Urahara would sit in silence on the floor looking over notes Oshiriku had made in his precious notebooks. Some he kept, but others he scratched through and called them craziness. One day he said he wanted to do research on Oshiriku's sickness. Oshiriku had opened her kimono three seconds after he said it. She took a syringe from his bag and drove it straight into the source of her pain. The stoic expression gave away nothing as the syringe was filled with dark blood. She neatly put a bandage over the hole. Urahara blinked in surprise and took the syringe she offered him. Had Oshi-chan just gotten naked in front of him? Better yet, had he not just seen the second set of the most beautiful breasts to ever exist in the world?

They were sitting in the gym watching some division eleven officers fight against one another. Yoruichi said they were slow and probably would not get a seat within the next two centuries she was actually correct, the highest either of them got was twentieth seat over three hundred years later. Oshiriku took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. Urahara's hair had grown a bit and it was all over his head. Oshiriku ruffed his hair up before flipping away from him onto the floor. Yoruichi looked at her best friend and laughed loudly. Urahara flattened his hair as he slowly walked towards her; she was standing with her hand on her hip. They bowed to one another in a sloppy manner. Oshiriku knew they would be fighting hand-to-hand combat. Fighting Urahara or Yoruichi with her sword had been restricted to only when they fought in the underground area the two friends had created when they were younger. Oshiriku simply blocked every attack Urahara sent her way.

"Hit him, Oshi-san!" Yoruichi said happily.

Oshiriku bent backwards to dodge a kick. Her body continued over that way so that her weight was on her hand and her feet slammed into his chin before she'd flipped completely and landed. She had a second to react, jumping into the air when his foot came back at her. His palm touched her back gently, signaling that he had a hit. Oshiriku caught his other hand and flipped away from him. She laughed and began to run circles around him.

"Yoru-san! You forgot to mention Little Oshiriku had finally mastered flash step." He frowned at the girl moving so fast it appeared to be several of her. He shrugged and followed at almost an even pace. She flipped to evade another attack and did a sideways twirl that allowed her foot to land on his shoulder gently. Hit. Urahara grabbed her foot and lifted her into the air. The move caught Oshiriku by surprise, but she did not let it show. Her left foot slammed down on her friend's head and she landed behind him, ducking when his fist flew out.

Yoruichi appeared in the middle of them, blocking both of their attacks at once. Both of them had wondered when she would decide it was boring enough just watching them. They attacked her hard. She blocked each of their punches without hesitation, hitting each of them once before they jumped away from her. Oshiriku noticed the two boys that had been fighting were now staring at them with open mouths. They ignored the people in the room staring and continued to fight their opponent. Although it was two on one, they only hit her three times, Oshiriku once and Urahara twice, before they decided to go change and eat lunch.

She'd decided to wear a haori over her uniform. It was a yellow thigh length jacket with sunflowers printed all over it. The hems were white. She waved to the people staring at her as she walked towards the cafeteria where Yoruichi, Urahara, and a girl stood waiting for them. She told Oshiriku the girl's name was Fong Sui. Oshiriku had shaken the girl's hand, but paid her no attention after that as she looked for Ishirio. She knew Yoruichi would lecture her on her manners later.

Ishirio was sitting at a table near the back of the room with his beloved Kusaruko. Oshiriku felt a slight pang of jealousy but tossed it to the wind when she saw how happy Ishirio was talking to the girl. She set her tray down on the table quietly before sitting beside him. He nudged her with his elbow, knocking her cup out of her hand and spilling water on the front of her uniform. His eyes went round; he made an attempt to get out of his chair and run before she could react, but she caught him by the collar and yanked him back to the table violently. She punched him in the eye before wiping the water from the table and sitting back in her seat. Ishirio rubbed his eye gently as he glared at her.

She left him and Kusaruko standing in the middle of the yard as she ran back to her room. A smiled spread over her face after she realized she'd done a pretty good job of avoiding her captain up until that point. She took her shirt off and stood in front of the mirror with a frown. A large dark blue bruise stretched from an area below her breast and to her side; it was getting larger. She frowned as she drank the strange liquid Urahara had made for her. He'd told her it would help with the pain and slow down the multiplying cells. It tasted like Ishirio's tea, but with more cinnamon. Oshiriku thought Urahara had added more cinnamon to mask the true taste of the liquid. She was suddenly grateful she had such a thoughtful friend.

There was a loud explosion in the yard. Oshiriku rubbed her eyes gently; she'd probably been asleep for only a few minutes. She gasped when she heard a second explosion. Ishirio was out there someplace! She ran from her room with her hair flying free behind her as she squinted her eyes in the dust. Somehow, captain Baishin had managed to escape and was attacking officers. She saw Ishirio standing in the center of the mess with Kusaruko clutched in his arms. Oshiriku could tell from the way he held the girl that she was dead. She ran towards him. The accused captain gave a loud cry and sharp blades flew from his body. Oshiriku's eyes widened in horror as five or six of the blades were headed directly towards her friend, who was turned away. She jumped on his back and held him against her tightly.

She'd always thought the pain from being sick would be the worse she'd ever feel before she died. She was wrong. There were only six blades, but if felt as if a thousand had been lodged into her skin. Her scream was not the loudest of the ones heard on that day, but it resounded in Ishirio's ears. He dropped Kusaruko and pulled Oshiriku against him. She had protected him yet again. He gently lifted her and carried her towards his room without thinking. He ran into a familiar face as he came near the turn.

"Ishirio where are you? Who is…" Urahara's eyes widened in shock. "Take her to my room. The blue box in my closet. Follow the spells in the blue notebook exactly." Urahara turned Ishirio the other way. He could be heard in the distance giving other officers instructions.

Ishirio removed the knives from her back before lying her down on the floor. He threw open Urahara's closet and drug the blue box from it; it was a pretty heavy box. After tossing the bandages beside Oshiriku and snatching up the first two blue notebooks he saw, he shakily cut open her shirt His hands trembled as he pushed the cloth aside and away from her body. He stared at the large bruise on her abdomen, but he turned her over to her stomach so he could take care of the important wounds first. First, he skillfully sewed the deeper wounds closed with a thin needle and some shiny thread Urahara had in the kit. He skimmed through the notes as he fastened bandages over the other wounds. Oshiriku's face had gone paler than it had been before that day. He dropped the notebook on the floor, leveled himself on his knees, and held his hands over her wounds.

"What the hell does this say? Is this Latin?!" Ishirio turned the page and sighed when he saw the spell written so he could understand it. "Lord, face of flesh and heart of heaven, enter these hands. Spirits cast thou eyes towards this body. Let your grace pour into my soul. Bathe this soul!" He frowned and poured as much spirit energy into his spell as he could.

He was too tired to continue after he saw some color had returned to her face. After picking up the other notebook, he realized it was actually purple and labeled with Oshiriku's name. He opened it; his eyes scanned the pages. So, Urahara had come up with a few solutions to Oshiriku's problem. He'd developed a tea similar to Ishirio's that would help cleanse her organs. When he read the last paragraph written, his eyes went round as saucers. Could Oshiriku's affliction really be that simple to rid her of it? He picked up one of the knives on the floor. Slowly, he turned her onto her back and covered her upper body with a piece of her torn shirt.

He made an incision underneath her breast and all the way to her side. He pulled on rubber gloves before pushing the skin aside and staring at the flesh beneath it. His heart pounded in his chest as his hand slid into the wound. He could only recall one time when Oshiriku had actually let him touch her side so that he could feel the hard place underneath her silky skin. His head tilted to the side slowly as his eyes roamed over organs and muscles and cartilage he could draw with his eyes closed. Then, as if by some miracle, he saw it. Lodged between her fifth and sixth ribs was a black mass of flesh the size of his palm. He gulped as he carefully pulled the strange thing from her body. After placing it on a piece of paper on the table, he ripped the gloves off his hands and dug around in Urahara's box until he found a clear canister labeled with the name of the medicine he'd put in Oshiriku's tea.

Ishirio silently debated whether or not he should pour a bit of the medicine directly into the incision he'd made. He put on a fresh new pair of gloves and gently rubbed a cloth soaked in the medicine along the flesh. He threw the blood soaked cloth onto the table and quickly began to sew the wound shut. Blood had begun to build up at the incision site. He cut the thread with the scissors in the box before covering the wound with a wrap. He didn't have the energy remaining in him to attempt a spell. Instead, he leaned against the wall behind him and closed his eyes so that he fell into a deep sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**: Well, the Colts won the Super Bowl. (LOL) This is an extra chapter. Alas, none of the Bleach characters are mine. **I still want Ukitake**. And things get crazy from here on.

"We were in the closet kissing, and his hand was under my kim--"

A groan resounded within the body on the floor. Oshiriku didn't have the strength to open her eyes. Her voice was thick and hoarse when she said, "Yoruichi, please spare me the details of yours and Kisuke's love life."

"Oshi-chan!" Yoruichi pulled her cousin into a tight hug. She carefully helped her flat on her back after she realized she was hurting the girl. "Oshi, you have been unconscious for two days! Your wounds have healed beautifully, but you'll have some scars."

"I don't care. Ishirio?" Oshiriku sat up on her elbows with her eyes round.

Urahara's face hovered over hers for a moment. He pressed her back against the mat and lifted the thin silk cloth draped over her upper body. "This is my room. It took a lot of begging and petitioning for me to keep you in here."

"Kisuke was made a captain just this morning," Yoruichi said happily. She smiled at Urahara.

He blushed as he slowly dropped powder on a large wound on her torso. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail. "You know, you and Kotogotoku are lucky to have one another." Oshiriku gasped when she saw the large cut on her stomach. She might have been unconscious for a few days, but she knew there was no way one of those knives had done that to her. Urahara slapped her hand away when she reached out to touch the large cut. "Ishirio did this in hope of helping you."

"Did it?"

"It will leave a scar."

"Did it help?"

"It's only been two days. According to the research and tests I've run on the tumor he took from your body, I can only assume it was the source of your sickness. It has components that would weaken your immune system a fracture and cause defeciency in white blood cells, which is why you were spitting up the blood. Lack of blood led to your blackouts. The pain was because the more movement you did, the more the tumor moved and it appeared to have been attached to your lower lung before it was ripped from that place and rebounded within your body. It was like a mass of floating…uhh why are you looking like that?"

"I only asked if I would be okay…"

"Kisuke is happy because he gets to have this huge lab. Plus, he's startin his own research organization. Well, I'm proud of you. I can't help it." Yoruichi rolled her eyes as she turned away from them.

"Congratulations, Kisuke-san." Oshiriku lay flat on her back so that she could stare at the ceiling. Some of the roofing was lighter in color than the other, but it was glued together perfectly. She wanted to see her friend.

"You can go out tomorrow. I would also suggest waiting a few more days before you run back to your zanjutsu classes." Urahara said thoughtfully before sliding the jar of powder into a box and into his closet. He clapped happily as he stood. His hair popped loose of its restraint after he shook his head violently.

Yoruichi sat down beside her again. She handed Oshiriku a large sunflower. "Ukitake sent you this. Well, there's a dozen of them in your room, but I decided to bring one to you so you'd know. He gave you this too." Yoruichi dug around inside her uniform before producing a letter sealed with a red ribbon.

Oshiriku sat up carefully with a large smile on her face. Yoruichi wandered away so that she could stare over Urahara's shoulder at whatever it was he worked on at his desk. Oshiriku pressed her dry lips together, licked them, pressed her lips together again, licked her lips again, and then she pressed them together so that she knew they were moist. She gently broke the ribbon; the letter was short. She smiled at each word read, her cheeks turning red as her eyes reread the final sentence. Yoruichi's face appeared beside hers. She snatched the letter away from her cousin and folded it neatly.

"What did Jurisho say?" Yoruichi asked innocently. She sat down in front of her cousin with her eyebrows raised.

Oshiriku pondered whether she should tell the truth. Nah. She actually felt like irritating her cousin. "He said he can't wait to see me so he can press our lips and bod--" Yoruichi's hand clamped down on Oshiriku's mouth. Her gold eyes stared straight into Oshiriku's brown eyes before slowly traveling to the door.

The door slid open. Mikabozu smirked at the two of them sitting on the floor. He blushed horribly when the cloth covering Oshiriku fell to her waist. He turned away from them. "Glad to see you are well, Shihouin."

"Disappointed to see you are still a snake, Mikabozu." Oshiriku said. She pulled on her ripped uniform shirt. Ohh, Shunsui was going to kill her. No, wait, he was going to kill Ishirio. After all, he was the one who cut the shirt open.

Mikabozu turned to her with a sneer. His eyes, which Oshiriku found beautiful and ugly at the same time, glowered at her. "You think you're so wonderful." He opened his mouth to say something else, but his eyes fell on her naked torso underneath the torn uniform shirt. She quickly pulled the shirt together tightly. Mikabozu smiled. "I just came by to tell you and your friend congratulations." He stepped out of the room holding her gaze. The door slammed shut.

"Should I be worried?" Oshiriku asked softly.

"Jealousy. He's angry because you've been made a lieutenant and he's still third seat." Urahara handed her a cup of hot tea.Oshiriku gagged and tried to push the cup away. "You have a lot to catch up on. You need your strength."

Oshiriku gulped down the tea in two swallows. She tossed the cup to Urahara, who was caught off guard and missed it completely. Luckily, Yoruichi was fast enough to catch the dish before it shattered on the floor. Oshiriku faked a yawn as she fell back against the pillow. Her hand slipped beneath her shirt so that she was able to feel the puffy scar underneath. She opened her shirt and tilted so that she could see the scar in the candle and sun light.

"I see pin holes, but where is the thread?" She asked curiously.

Urahara stared at her slightly exposed breast. He pressed his hands against the table. "Well, it's a thread I worked on, but Ishirio perfected, really. We took the normal threading needle and made it as thin as possible while still being able to hold and use it. The thread is actually slivers of spiritual energy we've managed to contain in compact, transparent, and powerful lines. It's like taking chocolate and cutting it as thin as possible. It's thinner than a line you can draw with that pen over there."

"Sui will be worried. I have to go." Yoruichi kissed Oshiriku on the cheek and waved goodbye to Urahara.

There was a soft tapping at the door. Urahara turned to his desk after shouting a quick "ENTER!" He waved at the man standing in the door with a smile. Isshin threw an object wrapped in red paper at Urahara's head.

"You're such a nuisance, Kisuke." He handed Oshiriku the object.

She glanced at Urahara before opening it. It was a book about foreign plants, specifically flowers. She smiled. "Thank you, Kurosaki-san."

"Isshin."

"Isshin." She mimicked perfectly.

Urahara stared at her wide eyed. "I thought he had repeated himself again." He burst into laughter. Isshin threw a punch that Urahara easily blocked. "Don't come in here with that. Can't you see the lady is still sick?"

"What happened to your uniform? Shunsui is going to slaughter you."

"Ishirio did it!" Oshiriku said quickly.

Urahara laughed harder than before "Save the guy's life then give him up to the slaughter house. You're wonderful!"

It was a cool summer day. The sun was shining brightly on the neatly washed tiles in the courtyard. Oshiriku pushed a handful of hair out of her face as she turned to an approaching figure. Ukitake bowed to her slightly before extending his hand. A smile spread across her face, disturbing the frown she'd had when she was staring at a spider on its web. Her hand landed in his gently; they sat on one of the benches. Oshiriku didn't look at him, but she kept her dark eyes glued to a patch of flowers she didn't recognize. Ukitake gently navigated her chin so that she stared directly into his eyes. She gasped when she finally saw his hair.

"You cut your hair!" She ran her fingers through the white shoulder length locks.

"It's shorter than I wanted, but that's Kyoraku. He always thinks shorter or bigger would be better than what you tell him. It will grow, and you can cut it the next time." He lifted a piece of her hair. "You want a haircut?"

Oshiriku raised her eyebrows. "Why? What'd you do with your hair?"

"They're going to make a wig for a woman. She got sick and lost her hair, but she's better now and has no hair. She's thirty years old."

Oshiriku rested her head on his shoulder. "You're so kind." Their lips met.

Someone cleared his or her throat. Oshiriku saw the white coat and stood. Shunsui laughed. "It's okay, lieutenant."

"Shunsui-san. You caught me by surprise."

"You've been sick. You still are, but Jushiro? Your explanation." Shunsui said with a smile.

Ukitake stared at Oshiriku with a gleam in his eyes. "Distracted by the beauty."

"Oshiriku-san, you should be happy to know Yoruichi gladly handled your work while you were sick. Although, she was kind of sloppy with a few of those reports."

"Yoruichi-san never liked paper work." Ukitake said before laughing.

"That's right!" Shunsui stared at the sky. Oshiriku sighed. His dark eyes fell on her blushing face. "Problem, Oshiriku?"

"No, sir." She stood with her hands flat on her lap. "I'll see you two later. I haven't seen Koto-san since I've been awake. Please, excuse me."

"Wait, you don't have to go because I showed up!" Shunsui said as if he was hurt.

Oshiriku laughed. "Nah. I have to drink some tea and put powder on my torso around the same time everyday until Kisuke tells me it's okay to stop."

"You have a torso wound?" Shunsui asked innocently. Oshiriku nodded happily and lifted her shirt. She bent her neck at a strange angle so she could make sure the shirt was high enough. She lifted it a little more and pointed to her side. Shunsui's eyes widened. He ran a finger over the wound. "Wow."

Ukitake lowered Oshiriku's shirt. "We'll see you later." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, waved goodbye to Shunsui, and ran away.

Oshiriku found Ishirio standing on the second aisle in the library with his eyebrows furrowed. His lips were pressed together tight enough so that the skin around them looked white. He pulled at a book on herbal treatments but slid it back into place when he read the author's name. Oshiriku stood against the bookshelf with a smile on her face. Ishirio did not notice her until he'd finally snatched a book from the shelf and turned to leave. He gasped when he saw her, dropping his book in the process. Oshiriku caught the book midair and handed it back to her surprised friend. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. Hesitantly, he hugged her back tightly, even inhaling her tangled hair. She waited for him beside the front desk as the clerk wrote the title of the book down in a log diary.

They stood in front of the library in silence. Oshiriku looked up from the ground only when someone walking by spoke to her. She inhaled deeply and looked up into Ishirio's hazel eyes. He had been watching her the entire time, waiting for her to speak. She frowned and punched him in the shoulder playfully.

"Stop looking at me like that." She made the statement with a laugh.

"Guess you're all right then."

"Yeh. Are you all right?" She poked him in the chest when he didn't answer. "You're going to start training with Kisuke on free days. Other than that, I'm sorry about Kusaruko." Oshiriku began pulling on her index finger.

Ishirio took her left hand into his and pulled her forward. "She was a good friend, but she wasn't really love worthy material. She complained a lot." He squeezed her hand.

Oshiriku laughed. "What'd she complain about? She sounded as if she was so in love with you when we spoke that day." Her face fell when she saw the expression on his face.

"Don't be sorry for what you said. It's just that…she wanted me to stop being friends with you. You! When you're the only person that noticed me that day. It was just her time."

Oshiriku squeezed Ishirio's hand tighter than he had hers. He made a sound like a squeak and tried to pull away. She chased after him until she was able to jump on his back and wrap her arms around his neck. Her thick black hair flew behind them as Ishirio ran forward with his book clutched in hand. Oshiriku laughed in his ear. They ran around until Ishirio forced Oshiriku into going to sleep. He sat beside her sleeping mat until her eyes were cloaked in deep sleep. Oshiriku had a good dream that night; she and Ishirio were flying Seireitei. They flew away until there was nothing left to see but white, but inside that void was beauty.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters**. I still want Ukitake**. LOL Nothing moves me like a good Ukitake love scene. drool

Oshiriku clumsily stroked the small harp on her lap. Her uncle's friends talked joyously about how wonderful she played, but Oshiriku knew they complimented her only because they were in her uncle's house. If they had been on the street or in a public place, the men would have ridiculed her for such horrible playing. Normally, she could play the harp as well as any other person trained with the instrument since being able to hold it. She had chosen the instrument to play when she was only three years old. The poor music did not reflect her skill more than the discontent of the thoughts bumbling through her head. Her fingers glided over the strings gently when she spotted her uncle glaring at her behind a glass of wine. The music became mellow and beautiful. Oshiriku played the sad music until no one remained in the room but her and half empty glasses of wine and sake.

The night air was cold against her face. It had been months since she'd been hurt during that attack. Months had also passed since she'd last felt pain in her side and abdomen. Urahara still insisted upon her drinking his special tea, but he had made it stronger now. Oshiriku had taken to the fact that her zanpakuto would occasionally appear in the image of a woman that vaguely reminded her of her mother. The woman was as tall as Oshirku's shoulder with knee length curly black hair and sand colored skin. Her ebony eyes always twinkled when she spoke or danced around Oshiriku. As a matter of fact, Oshiriku had taken to talking to Kagura as soon as the woman had appeared that night when she woke up from a nightmare. At first she thought she was someone in her room uninvited, but when she saw that angled face she knew it could only be a dream or her zanpakuto had finally trusted her enough to appear.

She sat underneath her favorite cherry blossom tree with her sword on her lap and a cup and a container of wine sitting at her right. Her eyes strayed to a figure walking towards her. Wonderful. She poured herself a cup of wine, sipped it, and pretended not to notice the black haired man standing ten feet away from her. He purposely poured out a bit more spirit energy so that the container tipped over, but Oshiriku caught it before it could fall. She carelessly tossed her blacker hair over her shoulder in response to his little game. After gulping down what remained in the cup, she poured herself more. Was she going to try and drink her problems away? As if that was possible, she laughed at the idea of doing something so stupid.

"You are very rude," Byakuya said softly.

"I wouldn't choose a better judge for manners in rudeness," she replied carelessly. She leaned back against the tree with a smile. "May I help you?"

"I wanted to ask you if you knew where Captain Ukitake stays. I…"

"It's past midnight. Besides, what would ever make you think I know?"

"You are Captain Shunsui's lieutenant and everyone knows they are the best of friends. I've seen you two in one of the gardens. Anyway--"

"Anyway, he is probably asleep and you shouldn't disturb him with your meaningless problems."

Byakuya gave her a hard stare. His voice was cold when he said, "I can do whatever I like."

"I forget he's your senpai. Silly me. Come on then." Oshiriku stood, but stumbled slightly. She put her sword back at her hip.

Byakuya gave her a strange look before saying, "You're drunk."

She rolled her eyes at him as she walked past him to lead him out of the yard. He followed her close enough so that she could smell a soft spice scent coming from him. Her eyes remained on the side of his face the entire walk. She would have preferred to run, but she knew Byakuya could not keep up with her; he would have gotten lost at some point and that would have resulted in her turning around to find him. He kept up with her pace as she walked towards the largest house in the district. She gently tapped on the door, sighing loudly to show how much she was enjoying disturbing someone so early in the morning.

A woman with short black hair answered the door. Her face was scrunched into a tight frown, and her eyes were nearly closed. She gasped when she saw Oshiriku and let her into the house with a large smile. Byakuya threw Oshiriku a strange expression as they went inside. The woman led them to a medium sized parlor that Oshiriku thought was the most cozy she'd ever had the chance of being in. She'd been there before, but it was different with only her and Byakuya sitting on the couch staring at one another in silence. The woman hugged her gently before disappearing. Oshiriku heard the soft pattering of her feet up the carpeted stairs. A door upstairs opened.

Byakuya's eyes were still on her when Ukitake walked into the room some minutes later dressed in pants and a shirt. Byakuya bowed slightly before standing. "I wanted to tell you my mother is ill and I won't be able to practice as much in the evenings."

Oshiriku shook her head but remained silent. He had interrupted her drinking just to tell Ukitake he would not be able to practice with him?! He could have told him that tomorrow when he got out of his classes. Oshiriku rubbed her forehead gently before laughing to herself. "You disturbed people's sleep to tell him something you could have said tomorrow after or in between your classes? Amazing." She stood and waved to both of them dismissively. Her feet froze in their path when she saw Etsuko holding a tray with teacups and a steaming teapot.

The shorthaired woman widened her eyes in surprise when she noticed Oshiriku was leaving. "Jushiro-chan had me make tea. Why are you leaving so early?"

"Excuse me, but I have to get home. Sorry for interrupting your sleep. Thank you, Oshiriku, for guiding me." Byakuya said the last sentence with a hint of sarcasm. He bowed before walking out of the room. Etsuko put the tray on the table and followed him to the door.

Ukitake sat on the couch with a sigh. Etsuko stood in the doorway with a strange smile on her face. Oshiriku felt so out of place standing in the room with both of them. The teapot gently clinked against the fine cups as the liquid fell into it. Etsuko set the teapot down gently on the silver tray before giving Oshiriku another smile and disappearing. Again, she heard the woman's feet pattering up the carpeted stairs. She waited until Ukitake picked up his cup of tea before she picked up her own. The tea was strong; she was afraid if she put anything in it she would just throw it back up. She dropped a sugar cube in the cup. She wasn't so drunk that she would be throwing up the following morning. That type of drunkenness belonged to Kuuaku and Yoruichi and Urahara. She laughed as she sat back against the sofa with the saucer in one hand and her teacup in the other.

"There is something wrong," he said softly. Those gray eyes she loved so much gazed at her, waiting for an explanation.

"I don't know." She sipped her tea. When she looked down, she'd finished the entire cup. She nervously set the cup down on the tray.

"You seem distant." He stared into his cup.

Oshiriku's heart pounded in her chest when she glimpsed that moment of sadness on his face. She moved to a place beside him so that their arms brushed. Her hand slid into his. Her voice was shaky when she said, "I just--" He interrupted her with a cough. She took the cup from his hand and put it on the tray. Her hand squeezed his before she pulled him to a standing position and led him up the stairs.

It was amazing how visiting his house only three times before that had prompted her to remember it like it was her own. She pushed his bedroom door open slowly. He smiled at her and went inside. Oshiriku closed the door behind her. She stood behind Ukitake with her forehead pressed against the middle of his back. Slowly, she pulled at his shirt until it was off. Her hands gently grazed his flat stomach and up to his chest where she hooked them over his shoulders. What reason did she have to be confused about anything? Her hands fell to her side as he turned to her. He kissed her gently, very different from his usual style of kissing. His lips made her skin tingle wherever they met. Her kimono fell to the floor. He wondered why she never wore underclothes underneath her kimono. His pants slid to the floor. They pressed their naked bodies together gently. Ukitake continued to kiss her until he pressed his face into her neck and pulled her into a tight hug. Oshiriku stopped breathing. His fingers slid over her skin before he lifted her into the air and placed her on his bed.

Her lungs felt too tight suddenly so that she inhaled quickly as he slid into her. He nipped at her neck softly as she raised her hips to meet his each time he pushed into her. Her hands settled someplace on his hips so that she could urge him forward further if she felt the need to. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist as she felt her body reaching release. His lips met hers, taking the moans from her orgasm into his mouth. Her body tightened in the places she expected they would. He kissed her harder as his hips moved faster. She felt him going deeper into her. So, she bent her body at an odd angle so all of him could be inside of her. Her head fell back against the pillow as her eyes closed. She had to be in heaven; there was no feeling in the world better than that.

When she woke up Ukitake lay beside her with his left arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. With a smile on her face, she pressed herself closer against him. She kissed him gently on the neck before resting her head on the pillow and watching the calmness of his face. He looked so peaceful as he slept. Her arms slid around his waist as she curled into him. She wanted to be as close to him as possible. He nestled his face in her tangled hair with a smile. They kissed deeply before he lay on his back staring at the ceiling.

It was morning out, what time, they didn't know. He kissed her again. His hand squeezed her breast hard before sliding down her stomach to the hair between her thighs. Their lips formed into smiles during their kiss as he gently stroked her. Oshiriku laughed and pushed his hand away, rolling over so she was straddling him. His heart began to race in anticipation as she gave him that knowing smile. She eased down on to him, smiling all the while. Her hips moved slowly at first. His hands teased her breasts, pinching and rubbing her nipples. Her body tightened around him. His lips pressed together as his eyes openly displayed the lust in his body. His hands slid down her sides to her hips where he gripped them tightly and moved them. A strange smile spread over her face as she fell forward and let the orgasm spread throughout her body. Her body seemed to tighten again, making it harder for Ukitake to slid into her, making her shiver and moan.

She fell back asleep when Ukitake had stretched out beside her with his arm underneath her. She had the best sleep she'd had in years laying next to him. He was gone when she woke up. She could tell from the look of the sky that it was close to being evening out. She took a bath, put on her clothes, and went downstairs. Etsuko and her older sister were in the kitchen making food. Oshiriku stood in the doorway watching them with a curious eye, but she did not dare disturb them. She glimpsed Ukitake sitting in the parlor with a pale man with blond hair. He whispered something to the man and strolled over to her quickly. They stood in silence in the hall staring at one another. Oshiriku blushed and laughed before she gave him a kiss on the lips. He smiled at her as she walked towards the door with her eyes still on him. She gave him a little wave before disappearing outside the door.

"You left your things in our back yard," Ishinto said irritated. He nodded to the man standing beside him. The man took the teacup in front of her uncle and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Well, I got distracted and forgot to get them," she replied hesitantly.

"Odd. The servants said you weren't at home last night."

"They did not see me."

Ishinto pressed his lips together. His hand formed into a fist that he slammed on the table. "How dare you stand before me boldly with such lies! The guard told me you left with Kuchiki Byakuya and did not return. Do you forget who you are?"

"I am Shihouin Oshiriku. Daughter of Ashinto and Nanuri. Second born in the twenty-second generation of the Shihouin clan. I know who I am."

"Did something happen?" He asked. Oshiriku frowned deeply in response to the question. "Did something happen between you two? The guard said you were slightly drunk when you left with him."

Oshiriku laughed. "As if I would ever lie underneath someone so emotionally desolate." She made a sound at the back of her throat.

"Good. We need you just as you were before you went to school." He sighed when she raised her eyebrows. "Pure. Clean?"

Oshiriku pressed her lips together. She was as clean as the sand dunes. "Why?"

"I'm sure your mother told you. Girls marry way younger than you. Need I remind you how old you are?" He stressed the word old.

"I'm almost four hundred years old. I'm aware of that." She looked at the floor in response to his cold stare. "What would you have me do?"

"You're going to marry Kuchiki Byakuya." He stated in a definitive tone.

She could tell from the stoic expression he wore that he was serious about what he'd said. Either she could lie and pretend to be pure by agreeing to the marriage and thus keeping her honor and dignity, or she could tell the truth, which entitled her hating Byakuya and detesting the idea of him touching her even more. "No."

Ishinto stood with a smile on his face. "It's not debatable. The wedding is set for the first day of the winter. You may leave."

Her mouth fell open as her body went rigid with fear. Ishinto left his niece standing in the dining room. Oshiriku dropped into the chair beside her. She pressed her face into her hands, but she did not cry. After a few minutes of deep breathing, she went to her own home. It was her home for her father had left it to her before he and her siblings had gone to the human world with the help of Urahara. She stood in her parents' room pacing the floor, staring at her mother's favorite kimono as she did so. What would her mother do? It had been years since the woman's death, but Oshiriku was pretty sure she would do whatever her mother would have done. She quickly changed into the orange kimono and brushed her hair flat so that she could pin it up. She slipped out the front of the house without being seen by the guards. She was on her way back to the school.

Ishirio flipped through a raggedly textbook with a bucket of water on the cover of it. Oshiriku snatched him forward by the elbow. His book fell on the ground, but he did not have time to pick it up because his friend did not stop in her tracks. She held him up as he stumbled against her when she stopped abruptly. Her dark eyes were angry and sad at the same time. It had been a long time since Ishirio had seen those eyes glimmer with the two emotions at once. He stepped back until he was against the side of the building. Oshiriku closed her eyes.

"My uncle wants me to marry Kuchiki."

Ishirio was caught off guard by the comment. He stared at his friend in horror and disbelief, but realized she was not joking when he saw the anger in her eyes replaced fully by sorrow. He pulled her into a hug. "It's okay. You could be marrying his uncle." Oshiriku punched him in the stomach. Ishirio nodded and held himself up by resting his hand on the building. "I was joking! There are several alternatives to this. Sadly, none of them end with you keeping your honor."

"You mean none of them will lead to people not knowing the truth about me?"

"People outside this school. You know, sixty percent of the people here know about you and Captain Ukitake. About fifty percent of that sixty percent still don't believe it. And the people that do believe no one will listen to him or her. They're the ones below you. Of course it will be expected that lower people will start rumors about nobles."

Oshiriku frowned and looked around the corner. Mikabozu was standing ten feet away with a strange smile on his face. She motioned for Ishirio to follow her to his room. Mikabozu had to be one of the most annoying people to ever be created. She closed the door behind her and locked it before sitting down on one of the mats. Ishirio handed her a cup of tea real tea as he sat down across from her with his cup in hand. Oshiriku sipped the tea slowly; glad for the relief it brought her tense body. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. The tea seemed to calm her nerves as she finished the cup off. Ishirio poured her another cup and pushed it towards her.

"What did you do to this tea?" She asked cautiously.

"It has calming and replenishing herbs in it." Ishirio said calmly. "But anyway, I was going to suggest you leave or simply marry someone else. I'm sure Captain Ukitake would gladly marry you."

Oshiriku snorted into her cup as she took another sip. "I doubt it. I may be still sick or maybe I'm not, but I know when I was so sick then I wouldn't have married him if he asked. Why? Because I would have wanted to spare him the pain of watching me waste away. I know he will think the same way." She set the cup down on the floor beside her knee.

Ishirio yawned and leaned back against the wall with dancing eyes. "I'm sure he'll agree when you tell him the situation."

Oshiriku sighed rather loudly. She knocked her cup over as she stood with her hands on her hips. The world seemed to hate her now. At first she was debating whether or not she truly loved Ukitake the way he deserved to be loved; now, she was pacing her best friend's room trying to figure out how to get herself out of a marriage she did not want to be in. "I'm going to become a captain." The words slip from her mouth before she could stop them.

"You don't know how to control your bankai yet. Also, being a captain does not inhibit you from being married." He laughed nervously when she glared at him.

"No, I want to be a captain! Why do you think I try so hard with kidou? I don't want to marry some spoiled brat."

Ishirio laughed heartily. "And Yoruichi had said the same thing to herself that day we saw him speaking to his father outside the tailor's shop Looks like she got luck--"

Her fist collided with his head. "Why do you have to joke about this?!"

"Sorry," he whispered. "I still say you won't be controlling your bankai in seven months."

She punched him again. "Don't say that! Why are you so negative?!" She rolled her eyes at him.

They sat in silence until it was dark out. Oshiriku stood to leave. When she got to the door, Ishirio smiled as he said two words, "Marry me."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine.**

"You are not serious!" Yoruichi was dressed in her black uniform with her hands on her hips as she stood in the middle of Urahara's room.

"I think it's a good plan," Urahara said thoughtfully. He handed Oshiriku a jar of crushed herbs.

"What about Jushiro-san?" Yoruichi's voice was soft.

"He won't marry her. Remember what he said when we were walking to your house the day he first met Oshiriku? 'I don't want to risk passing this sickness to anyone.' He's too nice." Urahara kicked a box out of the way so that he could slide another one underneath his desk. "I would marry you."

Oshiriku laughed nervously at the look Yoruichi was giving the blond man. "Naw. I think I will just stick to my plan with Koto-san. At least I will be able to remain here."

"Jushiro will reject you. He's an honorable and respectful man." Urahara's pen danced across the sheet of paper in front of him.

"While Kisuke doesn't even know how to spell the word." Yoruichi said.

"Look who's talking." He jumped out of the way as Yoruichi's foot slammed down on the chair he had been sitting in. "Why'd you let me get away?"

Yoruichi laughed. "Fool." She turned to her wide-eyed cousin. "Does anyone else know about your plan?"

"Kotogotoku has already started spreading the rumor. Gotta give it to that guy, he is one lucky loser." Urahara closed the book and stood with a loud yawn.

Oshiriku sighed. "I have to go to a lieutenant's meeting and then do paperwork in Shunsui's office after this. He's probably going to tell me about it."

"What will you say?" Yoruichi's body stood straight in the center of the room again. Oshiriku admired her cousin's ability to stand so perfectly.

"The truth." Oshiriku waved to both of them as she left the room. She slid her white lietuenant armband on.

The meeting was short and pointless. She'd almost fallen asleep at the table when the first division lieutenant had gone on and on about how the division were building stronger grudges against one another. She wanted to tell him that this place contained thousands of people and grudges were the only way to keep things sane, but she kept her mouth closed. Her feet skipped over the dirt as she made her way to her captain's office. She dropped down on the couch and flipped through the papers on the table. She wondered if the cahmber of forty six actually spent time reading through all the reports they turned in. A smile stretched over her face. Nah. They probably wanted them to do the reports just so they would know the captains and lieutenants were capable of doing such things.

Shunshui walked into the room with a bored expression on his handsome face. He brightened up when he saw one of his favorite people sitting on the couch with a pen in one hand leaning over paper. His hat landed on his desk silently, and he followed suit by sitting in his chair. Oshiriku poured two cups of tea: one for her captain and one for herself. She sat back on the couch, reading through what she'd already written as she sipped her tea. Shunsui frowned deeply. There was something he had wanted to ask the girl, but those idiots in his last class had made him forget whatever it was. He let out a loud sigh as he finished the tea in one gulp. Oshiriku refilled it and sat back down. Someday, he knew she would make someone a wonderful wife. That was it!

"Oshi-chan?" He called her that to make her blush.

Oshiriku smiled as she turned to him. "Sir?"

"You are getting married?" He raised his eyebrows.

Oshiriku pressed her lips together. "It's either Kotogotoku or Kuchiki Byakuya."

Shunsui stared at her blankly. "You could just not marry either."

"My family will be disgraced."

"More different from Yoruichi than I thought."

"My mother wanted this for me."

"What do you want?"

"To keep my family's name honorable while serving my wishes as well."

"You know…"

"If I marry Koto-san I can stay here and become a captain someday. If I marry Kuchiki I will probably be forced to retire to his household."

"What about Jushiro-san?"

Oshiriku turned away from her captain. The one sentence she managed broke off at the end. "The path with him is not honorable."

"You break a man for selfish reasons."

"Would he rather see me killed?" Oshiriku turned to her captain with tears in her eyes. She snatched the papers from the table, knocking over the ink in the process. Her hand grabbed the doorknob.

"He supports your decision. I don't." Shunsui stared at her. His words had stopped her in her tracks

Oshiriku had her back to him. She dropped the papers in her hand onto the floor. The air in her chest tightened. Her voice was filled with emotions. "What would it profit him to see me killed for selfish reasons? How could I serve him in death?" Her hand trembled as she slid the door open and stepped into the sunshine. "If you could only understand." The door slid closed behind her. She swallowed back the lump in her throat as she walked towards her room.

She opted to go for a walk through the gardens instead. Her hands were clasped behind her back. Her feet made soft pattering sounds as they hit the pavement softly with each step she took. Her dark eyes strayed from flower to flower as she passed red roses, pink cherry blossoms, and yellow daisies. She stopped in front of a patch of tall sunflowers. Near the center of the bunch was a small white daisy. She smiled at the flower standing so proud amongst the taller ones as if it was just as strong. Her hands fell to her side. She inhaled deeply the sweet scent of roses and lavender. She enjoyed the scent of lavender more than anything, but she wore sunflower oil because it smelled just as nice. The flowers in front of her made her feel as if the world was not as bad as it was in reality. The garden had an air about it that made her want to run through the flowers dancing.

A warm hand slid into hers. She glanced at her lover standing beside her with his gray eyes on the flowers as well. His hand squeezed hers, but he did not move for her to follow. No, he remained standing beside her patiently. Oshiriku fought back a smile as she turned with his hand still in hers. He walked beside her at the same pace so that he could see the beauty of her face. They stopped in front of a large patch of rosebushes with yellow roses. Oshiriku let go of his hand. Her feet sidestepped right, and her arm wrapped around his waist. Ukitake gripped a handful of the cloth at her shoulder. He held her tightly against him. She stared at the flowers with a dazed expression as his arm rested around her shoulders. She pressed her face into the front of his uniform and cried.

"I'm sorry." She choked out.

He lifted her chin so that they stared into one another's eyes. His thumb wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I never would have thought we'd last over three hundred years."

Oshiriku smiled. "We will last forever."

"You will be someone else's." His voice was indifferent.

She exhaled slowly before kissing him. "I am yours." She'd whispered the words into his mouth. She pressed their lips together. It had only been days since she'd kissed him, but it felt like years. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as she kissed him harder. "Do you truly love me?"

"After three hundred years, need you ask?" He gazed into her eyes with a smile.

"Well, I will not marry."

He gripped her shoulders roughly. "Why do you say such silly things? Don't you know your uncle will have you killed?"

"I don't care. I want you."

Ukitake released her shoulders and pulled out a handkerchief as he was overtaken by a fit of coughs. He took in shaky breaths and steadied himself. "I offer only death."

"But you love me! I love you."

"I would rather be alone so I can see you alive than dead. Ishirio loves you."

"That's not the same."

Ukitake coughed again. He exhaled slowly. "It will be, over time." He ignored the shocked expression on her face.

Oshiriku stood in silence as Ukitake walked away from her. She fought the urge to run after him and scream at him. Her feet carried her back to her room. A black cat sat on her sleeping mat licking its right paw. Oshiriku picked the cat up and held it close to her chest. She poured what was left of her milk into a saucer and fixed a pot of tea. The cat jumped onto the floor and flicked its tongue over the white liquid. Oshiriku sat cross-legged beside the cat with a plate of cookies in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. She placed both in front of her. The cat turned to her with that expectant expression on her face. Oshiriku's dark brown eyes fell to the cup of tea in front of her. The cat purred softly before turning back to her milk. They sat in silence drinking, but it could be assumed that they were having a mental conversation. Yoruichi understood everything her cousin had not said, and Oshiriku was warmed by every word of comfort that Yoruichi hadn't said.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine. Ukitake is mine. ROFL**

They stood in the temple with the priest dressed in white robes. Oshiriku wore a vibrant pink junihitoe with the ceremonial accessories that went along with it. Her long hair had been combed up neatly and tightly so that it was folded over combs with flowers prodding from random places. Her lips were painted a pink shade darker than the kimono she wore. Her hands rested gently on her lap as she kneeled beside Ishirio. He wore a white kimono and hakama. She thought about all the times she'd kissed Jushiro and how she'd taken them for granted. All she wanted at that moment was to feel him kneeling beside her. She forcefully fought back the tears in the back of her eyes when they looked up at the priest in unison. Ishirio's hand wrapped around hers gently as the priest moved incense between. She was ready to be done.

The music began the moment they walked into the hall. Her uncle came to her with a smile, but his eyes were cold. He hugged her tightly; pressing her lungs against her chest until it nearly hurt, and shook Ishirio's hand. She could tell by the look on her new husband's face that it had been a tight handshake. They sat at the head of the table with forced smiles as people danced around them and congratulated them. Oshiriku trained her eyes to stay on the flowered plant sitting in the center of the table when she saw Ukitake and Shunsui walk into the room. They were both dressed in subtle green haoris and matching hakamas. Well, Ukitake's green was more like a sea foam that Oshiriku had remarked on how much she loved once; Shunsui's green was so dark it was almost black.

When they offered their congratulations, Oshiriku continued staring at the flower on the table, nodding along to whatever Ishirio said. She didn't dance that day. Every person present that knew anything about her noticed that one fact. The only time she did look up was when someone stood in front of them for a long time in utmost silence. She'd looked up to glare at the person, but her face changed when she saw that is was Byakuya; the man she'd married her best friend to escape. She waved clumsily at her sister in the middle of the floor dancing with their brother.

"I want to wish you well. It is such a beautiful day out. How can I stay insulted when the sun shined so brightly on your ceremony?" He held his hand out to her.

Oshiriku took it gently. "Thank you. I apologize if you are insulted."

Byakuya frowned. "I wanted Yoruichi. You might be prettier, but you're also more masculine. Ever since the first day I saw her when we were moving into our second house she was all I could think of. Now, the only other woman worthy of marrying me is that Kuuaku of the Shiba clan. And thank you, not once before yesterday was I ever able to block one of Ukitake-sama's moves." He smirked before walking away.

She pressed her lips together into a tight smile that she kept for the remainder of the ceremony. Ishirio had gotten uncomfortable sitting next to her with that smile plastered on his face. He waved and talked to her family members, calling them by their first names and even dancing with her younger cousins.

They were staying at her parents' home, which was now her home. They sat in the parlor with an awkward silence until Oshiriku half sighed and half growled before bounding up the stairs. She slammed her bedroom door and threw her clothes from her as she made her way to the bed. By the time she reached the large bed she was dressed in only her translucent hadajuban. She lay on the bed with her face pressed into the pillow as tears ran from her eyes, messing up her makeup.

She remained locked in her room for the next five days. Ishirio would occasionally knock to see if she wanted anything to eat, but she knew it was just an excuse to find out if she was really okay. They didn't eat unless they were using spirit energy. She'd just been lying in bed for five days; no use of energy there.

It was a rather cloudy day out. Ishirio kicked at a stick hanging from the tree in the back of Oshiriku's yard. Well, technically, it was his yard as well, but he wasn't accustomed to having such expensive things at his grasp. He never said anything to the servants or the guards. In return, none of them spoke to him; they let him walk around the castle and poke and prod any place he liked. He wondered why Oshiriku had suddenly become so sad over the past week. They were due back at the school the following morning and he didn't want to take a depressed woman back with him. He chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully as he pondered his options. Hadn't he married her because he wanted to help her? His eyes wandered to the window connected to her bedroom. She stood there dressed in a white kimono with her long hair flowing silkily over her shoulders. A smile spread over her face when she finally saw him standing beside the large cherry blossom tree. She disappeared.

Ishirio sat at the table in silence waiting for one of the servants to finish setting the table. He really hated that they wasted so much food and water. When the woman brought in the last dish, he gently grabbed her arm. "Whatever is left goes to the kids in Rukongai."

"Where do you think it goes?" A soft voice questioned.

The woman bowed, and Ishirio let go of her arm so that he could stand. "You're alive."

Oshiriku laughed. She dropped down in the chair at the end of the table. He stared at her trying to see what was so different about her. Had not seeing her in a week made him feel as if something had changed? She drank a glass of wine and played with a piece of boiled chicken. He watched her, trying to figure out just what was wrong with her. His mouth fell open, food falling onto the table, as his eyes wandered from the yellow kimono to the chin length black hair on her head. He gulped down the food.

"What have you done?" He asked gingerly. He stood and walked to her, his eyes still glued to her hair. His hand shook as he lifted locks of the sloppily cut black hair. "Why?"

Oshiriku smiled up at him. Her dark brown eyes sparkled from the light of the candles. "I'm a different woman now. When I return to work and school tomorrow everyone will know this."

"Oshi-chan. Why?"

"Why are you still asking me the same question?"

"Your hair was so beautiful," he said the sentence with regret.

Oshiriku rolled her eyes. "Koto-san, shut up. Make sure your things are packed because we leave at dawn tomorrow. You'll be sleeping in my quarters at the academy."

"Why?" He stared at her blankly.

"We're married. Or did you forget that?" She frowned deeply when he nodded. Her fist collided with his head. "How could you forget something like that?! What, did you think we were just on vacation or something? Gosh, I married the most annoying person alive!" She dived out the chair when he grabbed for her. He chased her around the room until she ran out the door and on outside. They ran from one end of the large yard to the other, Oshiriku never letting Ishirio catch her.

She lay on the floor with her head on his shoulder. They were staring at a picture an artist from the east had come by and done. It was their wedding present from her uncle. She did like the mural; angels surrounded a woman in golden light with large white wings. Ishirio had said that the woman kind of looked like Oshiriku's mother. Oshiriku stared at the woman's face for two seconds before agreeing that her uncle had put her mother's image in the picture. Her round eyes got heavy sometime later when they were laughing at old memories. Oshiriku ran her hand through her hair and smiled. Ishirio shook his head again at the site of her beautiful hair gone. She stuck her tongue out at him and nestled into the chair in front of the fire. Ishirio climbed onto the couch behind her and fell asleep before she did. Oshiriku touched her hair one last time. She was a different person, and she would learn how to deal with it. She was Ishirio's wife. _He doesn't expect anything from me._ Somehow, she hadn't imagined that the truth of that thought would irritate her so.

They were welcomed back by everyone in the school. Some people gave Oshiriku strange glances until they realized in horror that she had chopped all of her hair off. Her hair was cut down so that it was only two inches long. The short cut framed her face nicely, showing how round her cheeks were and her large brown eyes. She hugged every person within range, even Byakuya, catching him off guard. People assumed their week after the wedding had gone wonderfully, leaving some of the women who had entered the school as girls with her wondering about her new husband. Why was Oshiriku so happy? Her cousin pulled her away from Ishirio. Yoruichi's gold eyes were glued to the woman's hair.

"You've gone insane." She handed Oshiriku a cup of white tea. Her eyes strayed from her cousin's nice haircut to the orange kimono she wore. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Seriously?"

"Nothing."

"What's your problem? You don't stay locked up in a house with a man for seven days just for the kicks." Yoruichi sat her cup down on the table. They were standing in her office. She pushed her hands into her pockets. "Koto-san has got to be the most understanding man in the world." Yoruichi said her thoughts aloud with a smile on her face.

"He's my friend."

Yoruichi snorted. "He's a man."

"He's patient." Oshiriku sipped her tea again.

Yoruichi gulped down the remainder of hers and nodded. "He loves you."

**Junihitoe- is a twelve-layered-robe worn during most formal occasions at court (imperial weddings, enthronement ceremony, etc.)**

**Hakama- is a divided or undivided skirt, rather like a very wide pair of pants, traditionally worn only by men**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine.**

Oshiriku squinted at the small print on the test. She frowned as a woman glanced at her out the corner of her eye. The woman forced a smile before moving down the aisle. What the heck was she supposed to do with the stick? A man walked into the room. He yawned loudly before settling into his seat at the front of the class. Oshiriku sighed in frustration, but not before noticing that the piece of wood had left a mark on her paper. They were supposed to write with that? She still used ink and quills. Shunsui waved at her from his seat at the front of the class.

"How'd you do?" Ishirio juggled his sword playfully as Urahara pointed out what he'd done wrong during the last attack.

"It was brilliant. Took me a while during the writing part, but I caught on."

"They're called pencils. I made them. It is discarded lead surrounded by shreds of wood. It's like the ink…"

"But less mess." Oshiriku sat down on the rock. She looked around for Yoruichi, but found her favorite cousin was not there.

Watching Urahara and Ishirio fight was so annoying and irritating to Oshiriku. First, they would fight. If no one could land a hit then things continued, but when Urahara hit Ishirio for Kisuke was sure Ishirio's heart wasn't into fight he'd stop and tell him exactly what it is he did wrong. Ishirio pretended to be interested, but Oshiriku knew Ishirio was probably thinking about the book he was writing on the healing properties of chemical herbs. He'd managed to create several rare strains of an herb that could heal tumors. Oshiriku had watched him struggle over the years, never once complaining when she turned the lamp out closest to her at night. She finally realized he stayed up most of the night when Urahara and Kuuaku had gotten her drunk once, and she'd stared at him wide eyed until the sun was in the middle of the sky. She'd stayed awake that entire night watching him write and write and write. He went out at times for division meetings, and he also went out on missions. Oshiriku thought they would station him someplace soon if he continued to get better in his hakuda. She fingered the charm hanging from a silver chain at the hilt of her sword. Ukitake had given it to her as a wedding gift on the second day they had been back at the school. After much magic and metal, she had cleverly connected the chain to her zanpakuto. Everyone saw it hanging there, but only she, Ukitake, Shunsui, and Yoruichi knew whom it had come from.

She stared at a dark rock adjacent to where she sat. It was shaped like a great bird with a sword in its hand. Oshiriku smiled at the rock; it reminded her vaguely of one of the few times she'd ran into Ukitake alone over the past years. It had been night out, but that never detoured her from walking around seireitei when she had the free time. Free time was hard to come by with her being Shunsui's lieutenant and trying to get stronger so she could become a captain. She saw him carrying a large white fowl in one arm with his hand resting on his sword. She'd rushed over to help him, taking the bird (which turned out to be an overly large goose). He blushed something furious as they walked to his house in silence. He'd bought the bird as a gift to his siblings. They liked eggs more than they let on. Oshiriku laughed at Ukitake's comment and carried the bird the remaining of the way with ease.

She handed him her handkerchief so that he wiped the sweat from his face before he opened the door. Etsuko sat in a chair beside the stairs with her eyes wide. She happily took the bird from Oshiriku before disappearing into the kitchen. Oshiriku and Ukitake stood in the foyer with uncomfortable expressions. He told her thanks and began walking up the stairs. She laughed nervously and told him she'd help him whenever he needed. He had turned to her with that gleam in his eyes, the gleam that vaguely reminded her of lightning. She'd whispered his nickname before she could stop herself. The muscles in his face tightened so that it looked as if he wore a painful smile. Oshiriku blushed and stepped out of the front door. She didn't turn around until the door was closed behind her. Her cheek rested against the cold thick wood of the brown door. She'd taken control of herself and returned to her walk moments later.

Oshiriku laughed to herself at how foolish she had acted that day. One would think that after so many years the tension between her and Ukitake would have dissipated, but to no avail. She tried to be as far away from him as possible, even stepping into unaware officers rooms when he came towards her. He had told her more than twenty times over the years that they could only be friends. She wasn't hard of hearing, but she did like the sound of his voice, although he was rejecting her. Shunsui would tell her how Ukitake was doing when she bothered to ask. She just couldn't understand how her life had managed to come crashing down around her. She fell flat onto her back with her legs still crossed. Her eyes closed slowly, focusing on a small hole in the ceiling. A loud yawn escaped her as she fell into a light sleep.

"You keep Oshiriku busy at night or what?" Urahara laughed loudly but went silent when a rock smashed into his head. He rubbed the growing bump with a frown. "It was a joke, Oshiriku-san. Be calm." He moved so that if Oshiriku threw something else it would hit Ishirio. Another rock soared through the air towards them. Ishirio turned around too slow and got hit square in the back of the head. He yelped, but another rock came towards them, this one hitting Urahara in the face. Both men toppled onto the grown in pain.

Oshiriku jumped down from the rock quickly. "How dare you!"

Urahara laughed, sliding away slowly. "You two are married! What am I supposed to say?"

"Insulted again. I bet she doesn't even know she's doing it," Ishirio said softly.

Oshiriku rolled her eyes. "My apologies, dear husband. Of course I shouldn't bruise your ego or you will put me in my place."

Ishirio laughed nervously; something or someone had upset her. He pointed a finger at Urahara. "Kisuke said it, don't get angry with me!"

"Why are you yelling?" She asked, her eyes widening.

"To make sure you could hear me?" He shrugged. With a quick glance at Urahara, he dashed towards the door. "I have a mission in a few minutes. Can't be late!" He laughed.

Urahara laughed. Oshiriku held up a hand. "Kisuke, don't even bother."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it would make you two so uncomfortable."

She stared at him blankly. "That was one of the most useless apologies I've ever heard."

"Well, you've been married to the guy for more than five hundred years now. You don't touch each other unless you're fighting. I was just making sure I was right." He picked up a cup of clear liquid.

"And you've created dozens of advancements that help our world greatly. Worry about yourself and not us, Kisuke. I'll begin to get jealous if you pay too much attention to my husband."

Urahara snorted. "Sure you will."

Oshiriku left Urahara moments later so that she could go to Shunsui's office for a meeting he had set up between her, himself, and four other officers. The door was cracked slightly, indicating that there was already someone in the room. A thin girl with black hair and glasses stood in front of the fire with a notebook in her arms. Oshiriku knew her as Nanao and nothing else. If someone had to take her place as Shunsui's lieutenant, she hoped it would be that girl. Nanao may not have been a third of her age, but she was advanced in kidou, and she kept up with things. She smiled at the girl before sitting down on the couch with a loud sigh. It was just like Shunsui to be late for something he planned himself. She fell asleep on the couch after becoming too comfortable.

Shunsui strolled into the room with a smile on his face and a cup of tea in hand. "Well, everyone is here. Let's--" He stopped when he heard familiar snores resonating in the room. He motioned for his current fourth seat to move aside; sure enough, Oshiriku was asleep on the couch with her long black hair (he was overjoyed she hadn't cut it again over the past centuries) covering her face. "Oshiriku-chan? Uhh Oshiriku-chan? Seriously, wake up."

Oshiriku coughed and turned to him with bright eyes. He could never quite figure out how her eyes could be shining so after she'd just woken up. She pushed her hair back into a high ponytail. "Kyoraku-san?"

He laughed before shaking his head. "Okay, we're all aware that our dear Oshiriku has applied for the captaincy position in third division. I'm here because Oshiriku suggested one of you to me, but two of you came to me interested in the position. In case that she does become third division captain, if you are not interested in being my lieutenant, you can leave now."

Oshiriku's mouth fell open when Nanao took up her notebook and made her way towards the door. She signaled to Shunsui that she would be leaving, but returning. She ran from the room so that she caught the girl only five steps from the door. "Nanao-san, why are you leaving?"

Nanao had a soft voice, one that had annoyed Oshiriku when she first heard it. "I don't belong there."

"I know you're in that woman's club thing Nanao winced at the insult, but if you practice a little harder with your sword you will be better. Besides, the fifth seat can't do kidou to save her life, and the fourth seat thinks he is too high to pay attention to his peers."

"Captain Shunsui asked me to come. He probably was trying to play a joke on me."

Oshiriku laughed; it did sound like something Shunsui would do. "No, Nanao, I suggested you be his lieutenant. That way, you could take better care of him than I did."

"I'll never be to him what you are."

"You don't have to fill my place, just create your own! Now, let's go make sure you get dibs on this job before one of those other losers try to get it."

Some hours later the meeting ended with Shunsui agreeing to allow Nanao to be his lieutenant. He had her fill out the forms so she could bring them to him the following morning. Oshiriku stood in front of the couch with her hands clasped in front of her. Those brown eyes sparkled with light reflected from the fire beside her. She laughed at the expression on Shunsui's face.

"I'm going to miss you." He said the words with regret.

"I haven't gotten the job yet.It took long enough for a position to be free, though." Oshiriku replied modestly.

"Your bankai surprised all the captains present. Even Old Man Yama enjoyed the show."

Oshiriku laughed. "It was okay."

"Nothing is as free as the wind and water. An appropriate combination for you." He sighed as he stood, putting his hat on in the process. His eyes strayed from the door to her smiling face. Oshiriku watched him walk towards the door. He turned back to her with a silly expression on his face. "I forgot to tell you!"

Oshiriku flinched at the loudness of his voice. The jolt had sent a slight pain up the right side of her body. Absentmindedly, she opened the front of her kimono and used her left hand to touch the smooth skin underneath. She walked to the mirror on the wall farthest from her. Slowly, she opened the kimono. Fear filled her eyes when she saw the familiar bruise back again. It had been centuries since she'd last seen it. What would prompt it to return now? She gazed at Shunsui staring at her with wide eyes. He'd closed the door behind him. "I didn't notice it."

"It's fine. It did not detour you from succeeding in what you wanted." He smiled.

"But it has been so many years since I last felt this pain. Why now?"

"I can't answer that, but I can tell you that they're stationing you in the human world for the next two months."

"What if I become a captain?"

"You'll still go. Oshiriku-chan, are you okay?"

She nodded as she slowly closed her kimono. "I'm alive." She watched him open the door again. "Kyoraku-chan!" She smiled when Shunsui turned to her with a large smile. Her voice was strong as she said, "Don't tell anyone about this. I mean, no one aside from Yamamato-sama."

"As you wish." He waved goodbye to her.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Strangely enough, I still don't own any Bleach characters, and I still don't have Ukitake. LOL The plot and other characters are mine.

Oshiriku stood in front of her new division with her face in a beautiful frown, her lips pressed together, and a sheet of paper in hand. She had been captain for three days, but she knew only five people in the entire division. Her eyes skimmed over the list again. A boy with short purple hair, from where he stood she could tell he was in the seventh seat, walked towards her with a strange smile on his face. A few of his peers made sounds as he walked by, some even snorting. Oshiriku raised her eyebrows in response to his rude action. She held a hand up to stop him from walking towards her. He stopped in his tracks, that silly expression still on his face. Oshiriku wondered if he had been born looking like that. She looked down the list.

"Who are you?" She asked carelessly. Her thick black ponytail shook gently from a breeze. The boy did not answer. Her dark eyes fell on the paper in front of her. She found the most ugly name on the list. "Ichimaru?" The smile on his face widened. "Ichimaru, for your disrespect, I will be pushing you back into the ninth seat. That means you other people move up."

After a readjusting, Oshiriku motioned for the five people she knew to come forward. Of those five, she knew only one of them was worthy of being her lieutenant. Well, he was the last time she saw them fight. He was currently the third seat in the division. She winked at him as she stated, "These five people are going to help me out. Other than that, if you are interested in being my lieutenant, you have to do the paperwork and have it in within two days. I'll be holding the tryouts on our first day off. Also, I'm set to be in the living world in a few weeks. My lieutenant and these five will take over for me until I return. Captain Shunsui and General Shihouin will be looking in on you guys for me while I'm away. Any problems and you take them to those two, okay?"

The majority of the people nodded. One girl, who had vibrant red hair, raised her hand. "Captain Shihouin? I was under the impression that captains did not go to the human world unless it was imperative. Forgive my asking."

"That is true, but I was chosen before I became a captain. I'd rather be there anyway. Sitting around bores me to no end." Oshiriku smiled at the girl. "That's it. Go to classes and whatever your assignments are. You, red hair, stay here."

The red hair's face was almost the same color of her hair. She walked over to the group with her head lowered. Oshiriku fiddled with the piece of paper in her hand, wondering why the girl had suddenly turned shy. _She doesn't know you._ She pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she motioned for her group to spread out. The people she did know were people she'd met three centuries earlier when she'd had to stand in as the last captain's lieutenant when hethe lieutenant had been killed. Oshima Hansigu, a tall dark boy with short black hair and green eyes stood next to Kimokaku Shinji who was carelessly peeling skin from his cuticle. His brown eyes fell on the scowling Hichimoto Kayume. Her orange eyebrows were pressed together in disgust. Beside her was the pale blond haired and green-eyed Shikhio Arenaki. He had his lips pressed together as if to hide a laugh, but it was Fukishi Yumuru who had the widest grin on her face. Her light brown skin was a shade darker than Oshiriku's but her hair was a gentle chestnut color. Her violet colored eyes twinkled as she looked at the little red haired girl beside her.

"Hansigu, Shinji, Kayume, Arenaki, and Yumuru calm down. What's your name?"

The red haired girl blushed again. "Aramaki Ito, Shihouin-sama."

Oshiriku's eyes opened wider. She smiled at the girl. "It's okay, Ito, we are all going to be friends here. Do you know these people?" The girl nodded in response to the question. A look of horror crossed her face as she opened her mouth to apologize. "I told you, we're all going to be friends. You'll address one another by your surnames. Also, I want you six to make it abundantly clear to anyone vying for the lieutenancy that I won't let people wasting my time go unpunished." She smiled. "In other words, you can be extremely strong in one skill, but at least have basic knowledge in others." Oshiriku looked at the large clock on the wall. She whistled as her index finger tapped her right thigh along to the music. After folding the paper and handing it to Yumuru, she put a hand on Ito's and Shinji's shoulders. "You two are going to familiarize me with the officers. Let's go!"

The four officers left standing released a deep sigh of relief when their new captain and their two peers disappeared through the gate. They wondered if Captain Shihouin would be as strict as their former captain had been. They had hated him, but parts of them missed the man already. On the plus side, at least they had a captain they were friends with. Yumuru flipped her curly brown hair over her shoulders as she turned to walk towards the door. Hansigu smirked as he jogged to catch up with her. Arenaki and Kayume followed at a safe distance, whispering about the two.

They had to be kidding her. Oshiriku had a check beside over half of the names on the list. Ito's pale blue eyes scanned the room in hopes of finding someone in their division they hadn't shown the captain already. She could tell by the look on the woman's face that she was getting impatient and frustrated. If anything, she hoped Captain Shihouin wouldn't punish them the way the former captain had. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw a group of her peers seated on a mat in a neat cluster. There were at least eight of them off to themselves talking. Ito hesitated before telling Oshiriku that they were in her division. Oshiriku frowned before looking down at the list. Ito clumsily rambled off names with Shinji correcting her when he saw fit. She walked to the group of people with her officers following. One of the men jumped to his feet the moment his eyes landed on her face. He saluted her beautifully, ignoring his gawking friends.

"Aren't you boys going to address the captain?" Shinji smiled widely, glancing at Oshiriku out the corner of his eye. The other boys stood as well, glaring at him all the while. "She may not be Captain Awakari, but she is still your captain. You know the punishment for such disrespect."

Oshiriku laughed. "It's okay, Shinji. Just let it be noted they won't be considered for the position I heard them arguing about." She handed the sheet of paper to Ito. "Put stars by their names." Her glimmering eyes wandered from their faces to a blond man standing in the doorway with a smirk. She ran and slammed right into him, sending him flying out the door into the dirt.

Urahara stood angrily. "Yoruichi, what--" He laughed when he saw that it was actually Oshiriku. She hadn't changed into her captain uniform yet; she was dressed in a pale yellow kimono. "Oshiriku-san, that wasn't nice. I was trying to sell him something."

"Kisuke, you're so weird." She burst into laughter. She pinched him on the arm before jogging back to her waiting officers. They introduced themselves properly, but she still refused to allow them to try out to be her new lieutenant.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky when Shinji made a dull note that it was well past lunchtime and he had to go make sure his squad was on schedule with their practicing. Oshiriku dismissed him, but kept Ito walking beside her. The girl followed her back to her new office where she stood in front of the closed door. Oshiriku motioned for her to sit down. She did so reluctantly. After pouring a cup of tea for herself and the girl, Oshiriku sat down on the couch. Ito clumsily stirred her tea; the spoon clinked each time she twirled it because it hit the inside of the cup.

"What rank are you, Ito?" Oshiriku looked at the girl over the rim of her cup.

"I'm in the tenth seat, Shiouhin-sama."

"My name is Oshiriku."

"Oshiriku-sama."

Oshiriku laughed loudly. It was probably pointless of her to try and change the girl's way of addressing her. "Sama huh? Well, call me Oshiriku. The other five in our group do it easily."

"They know you."

"And so you will. Now, tell me, what is your strongest skill?"

Ito sipped her tea rather loudly. She put the teacup on the table and sighed. "I'm advanced in kidou. I wanted to be in the fourth division, but I always thought I wasn't good enough. I'm also okay with hakuda, but I don't know anything about zanjutsu. I don't even have a zanpakuto."

Oshiriku smiled. "That's fine. Your kido must be amazing for you to be in tenth seat."

"I was in fourth…"

"What happened?"

"The captain and I had a disagreement. Our beliefs clashed horribly. While I believe in innocent until proven otherwise, he believes whatever he says is the law."

Oshiriku pat her on the shoulder gently. "You can have your place back in fourth seat. Other than that, you can go if you like."

Ito gasped. She stood, tripping over her own feet, forced a smile, laughed nervously, and almost ran from the office. Oshiriku stared at the slightly open door for a few moments before turning her attention back to the cup in her hand. She drank the remaining of the tea and put the cup on the table. There were dozens of forms and other nonsense papers waiting on her desk for her. After dropping down into her chair with a sigh, she shuffled through the papers. She discarded the first half into a tray sitting on the top right corner of her desk. Would she really enjoy being a captain? Her dark brown eyes strayed to the door when it slid open a fraction.

Ito stood in the door with her hands clasped in front of her and her head lowered so that her eyes were on the ground. She walked into the room, closing the door silently behind her. Gently, she took some of the papers from Oshiriku's hand, picked up a bottle of ink and a quill, and sat at the table. Oshiriku smiled at the girl's back. She opened her own bottle of ink and went to work on the papers in front of her.

Some hours later, the door to her office opened once again, revealing Yumuru and Arenaki appeared in the doorway. Each of them carried a medium sized brown basket covered by a white linen cloth. Yumuru nodded to Ito as they walked into the room, Arenaki closing the door behind them. They sat the baskets on the table before removing the cloths. Oshiriku was surprised to find bowls filled with fruit, bread, and rice in the baskets. Yumuru gently lifted each article of food from the basket and set it on the table. Arenaki did the same, but faster. Yumuru rolled her eyes. She turned to Oshiriku and said, "I came up with the bright idea to bring you and Red some dinner. Arenaki here was the only person curteous enough to oblige."

"Thank you both."

Arenaki scratched his short blond hair. "Yeh, it's hard stealing food from those crazy women in the kitchen. Why didn't you ask us to help with the paperwork?"

"You're a horrible speller, Naki-san." Yumuru laughed loudly as she set down bowls of food on the table in front of Ito. She handed Oshiriku a bowl of rice and poured her a cup of what looked like water. "You were correct in choosing Red to do the paperwork. She's smart."

"Not as smart as you, Yumu-chan!" Ito said the sentence as if she was excited and embarassed at the same time.

Oshiriku laughed. "We did okay. I'll finish up tomorrow. Arenaki, take the forms Ito finished and put them on this side of the desk. The others, stack in the center of the table." She raised her eyebrows when she saw only two sheets of papers remained on the table.

Arenaki had sat down beside Ito and was engaging her in one of the least fruitful conversations Oshiriku had ever heard. Yumuru stood behind the two smirking with her arms crossed over her chest. She rolled her eyes at something Arenaki said, proving to Oshiriku that her thinking he was talking bologna was true. "Arenaki-san, you lie. Red, he was never in Hideyasu. If so, he never once bother to acknowledge either of us."

"Hideyasu?" Oshiriku asked thoughtfully. She ate another biscuit.

"It's the second district of Rukongai. We're from there. Arenaki is not." Yumuru smirked.

"I am! I just…stayed in the house a lot."

Ito laughed. "I believe you Arenaki-kun." She winked at Yumuru before turning her attention back to the rice in her bowl.

Oshiriku sipped the water and spit it out onto the desk. "Sake!"

Yumuru slapped Arenaki on the head angrily. "You fool! You grabbed the wrong container."

Ito had already drank two cups. "I thought someone had tried to put flavoring in it."

Arenaki stared at her bewildered. "You've never drank sake?!"

"Our families taught us to be respectable women." Yumuru said through clenched teeth. She put the cork back into the container on Oshiriku's desk and discarded it into one of the baskets. Arenaki knew how to ruin a good thing. She sat down between him and Ito so she could watch her friend closely. Oshiriku gulped down what remained of the sake in her cup and continued to eat her dinner. Her new division wasn't so bad after all.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine.**

The officers in her division were decent fighters when it came to sword skills, but the majority of them didn't know anything about kidou or shunpo. She'd watched over three hours of bad spells and had engaged some of the scariest officers she'd ever met. Some of them were afraid they would actually hit here while others were afraid she would accidentally kill them during the pretend fight. By the middle of the day, Oshiriku had had enough of the people showing up and admitting defeat before they even got a chance to fight her. She didn't know who considered themselves the strongest in the division. So, she could not get one of her officers to allow the others to test their skills against him or her. Ito sat at her side with a clipboard in hand staring at the remaining seven officers. She turned to her captain with discomfort and fatigue on her face, but she perked up when she saw the annoyed look on Oshiriku's face.

Oshiriku tapped her foot gently, counting each time it contacted the floor. Her dark brown eyes stared dully at the yellow paper on her desk. _Someone had given her an application on yellow paper?_ A deep frown from spread over her face as she looked towards the line. Yumuru waved at her energetically with a large grin on her face. Her long brown hair was up in a tight ponytail, but she was dressed in fitting black pants and a skintight black shirt. Her sword hung at her side tightly by a black cloth wrapped tightly around her waist. The outfit reminded her of the one Yoruichi had taken to wearing over the past years. Ito smiled widely at her old friend before scribbling something down on the yellow paper. Smiling, Oshiriku stood and walked to the center of the room.

"Your objective is the same as the others. You must either cut or hit me before the time is up. You have thirty minutes." Oshiriku pressed her lips together tightly to fight a yawn. She and Yumuru waved as an excited Arenaki took a seat next to Ito at the table.

Yumuru was brutal when it came to hakuda skills. She moved with an undisturbed grace that made Oshiriku smiled as she blocked each of the girl's moves. She was by far the best fighter she'd seen over the past few days. At some point, Yumuru unsheathed her sword, which was actually a short katana with colors dancing along the edges of it. Oshiriku was surprised and curious about the weapon all at once, but never forgetting to dodge each blow her friend threw at her. She skillfully flipped over Yumuru, running her finger down the length of the girl's sword before she landed behind her. Yumuru's struck out at her with her right hand. The soft blow landed on Oshiriku's shoulder. She smiled widely before nodding to the girl in front of her.

Ito rang the bell to signal the end of the time limit seconds later. No one had seen the hit landed on Oshiriku's shoulder, but she wrote Yumuru's name on the blank sheet of pink paper in front of her after she'd sat down. Arenaki stared in disbelief at the sentence his Captain wrote beside his best friend's name. Yumuru had been the only reason he hadn't tried out for the position as lieutenant. He figured if anyone deserved it or got it, it would be she. He gave Yumuru a high five as she walked by the table to sit down beside Ito. The two girls began whispering to one another in a low voice. Oshiriku gulped down a cup of tea before motioning for Ito to call the next person forward.

She breezed through the remaining people until only Hansigu and Shinji remained against the wall. They had expression on their faces that were so devoid of fun that Oshiriku burst into laughter. The vibrations came from the pit of her stomach and reverberated within her chest as she leaned against the desk for support. Although the right side of her body was currently in intense pain, she could not stop herself from laughing. Her left hand covered her mouth and her right hand pressed against her stomach as she coughed violently. She swallowed down what she knew to be blood, but ran over her mouth and wiped it on her kimono before either of her officers could notice the blood. Ito had stood, but Yumuru was holding her by the wrist as if to tell her Oshiriku would be fine on her own. After all, it was only a cough. Hansigu and Shinji stood attentive as Oshiriku gulped down another cup of the disgusting tea she'd had Ishirio make. She motioned both of them forward with fluid movement from her hands.

"I'm going to fight you two at the same time. I've grown rather tired." She said dully.

Hinsigu frowned. "You fought Yumuru singly."

"Really? I wasn't aware that I had. Think of it this way, if either of you land a hit on me, I will undoubtedly allow both of you to fight again tomorrow." She smiled at them.

Shinji frowned this time. "That's not fair. We all know I am a better fight than Hansigu."

Oshiriku sighed; last time she'd seen them fight, centuries earlier, Hansigu had carelessly dispatched of his friend. "Fine, I was trying to help you two. Ito, You may as well began writing up the report I will give to Yamamato-sama tomorrow to inform him of my new lieutenant."

Shinji scoffed. "I don't need any help. Besides, if Yumuru landed a hit, I know I can."

Oshiriku smirked. "No, you can't. Besides, Yumuru's sword is so beautiful. I could not help but be distracted by it for some moments. Okay then! Shinji you first, and then you Hansigu."

She took a deep breath to center herself; two more officers to fight and she was done for the day. Why hadn't she allowed them to fight one another until there was a definite winner? If either boy succeeded in landing a blow to her, she would put him against Yumuru the following day instead of fighting each of them again. It would be insane for her to waste such energy on useless things. She was impressed by the amount of spirit energy surging from Shinji before he ran forward to attack her. Her hand blocked each of his punches and her leg each attack from his feet. It was as if she knew exactly what he had planned before he could execute the movement. A cold hand wrapped around his wrist and twisted gently, breaking the bone nearer to the thumb. He flinched and jumped back so that he was at a safe distance from her. After pushing the bone back into place, he ran at her again, this time with his sword unsheathed. What had he shouted before running towards her? She unsheathed her sword so she could block his attacks. She kicked him in the stomach gently so that he stumbled away from her. After a few more blocked attacks, Shinji began to become upset.

"Darkness lead my path. Shadows guide my sword. Jaketsomabu!" Shinji screamed the words.

Oshiriku was taken back and quite surprised when darkness surrounded her. Her eyes adjust seconds later. It looked as if she'd fallen into a black void, but there was a floor where she stood stable. She twirled her sword slowly, searching the darkness for Shinji's reiatsu. A small ringing resounded in the air, alerting her to the fact that Shinji had indeed failed in hitting her, but the darkness did not go away. She quickly stepped out of the way as a piece of the darkness flew at her. Her mind tried to formulate a logical reason for why pieces of darkness were shooting at her, but she didn't bother. She held her sword up angrily. "Dance, Kag-"

Blinding light forced her to blink several times. Yumuru stood in front of her with her sword glowing. The light receded back into the sword before she sheathed it. Shinji lay on the floor in front of Oshiriku with a large gash on his side. Yumuru nudged him with her foot and motioned for the healer to take Shinji away. She turned to Oshiriku with a large smile, "No need to go killing him." Yumuru bowed to her respectfully before taking her seat on the floor again. She nodded when Ito whispered something to her.

"Hansigu?" Oshiriku turned towards the dark boy waiting patiently beside the table. He smiled at her, but the blank expression on her face did not falter. "Don't be too rough with me now. I don't need Yumuru to save me again." She winked at Yumuru. After gulping down another cup of tea, she stretched. She knew Hansigu because he was akin to a lower branch of nobles that greatly supported the special corps division. Knowing that, she was inclined to believe he would be most skilled in hakuda, shunpo and kido; they preferred for their family members to be part of the special corps. Oshiriku wondered how Hansigu had managed to skip out on joining the division, but she would ask him that another day. She coughed again.

Hansigu pressed his full lips together so that they looked to be in a thin straight line. He no longer thought of Oshiriku as his Captain or friend; he thought her simply as an enemy he must eliminate. Wasn't that what his parents had told him those many years ago anyway? When fighting someone you know or care about to the death, just imagine you never met him or her. He dashed at her. Oshiriku stepped back, evading his every attack. She blocked his foot soaring towards her and playfully pinched him on the cheek before pushing him away. Hansigu's face would have blushed red if his skin wasn't so dark, but being that it was, he was thankful. He attacked her furiously, admiring the way her body flowed on the wind as if it were a graceful cooked noodle. Noodle? He smiled at the idea and ducked when her fist flew at his face. His flat palm sped towards the right side of her body, but he stopped when he saw the look on Yumuru's face. Oshiriku's knee collided with his chin. He flipped away from her. His eyes darted to Yumuru's face again before he began another attack. What was that look of concern on her face when he'd almost hit Oshiriku? He pressed hips lips together in pain as she flipped over his back, snapping his arm up behind him. Oshiriku disappeared a millisecond before his palm touched her shoulder. His elbow flew out behind him, but she blocked it. Her knee stopped his foot from rising to far in the air. She smiled at him happily and let go of his elbow. She stepped out of reach of each of his punches.

He unsheathed his zanpakuto quickly, sending stray knives flying towards Oshiriku. Her sword appeared in her hand as if she hadn't even moved to unsheathe it. She disposed of the knives in two neat slashes of her sword. Hansigu gently pulled his arm into place. He winced at the pain, but kept his blade raised in a defensive pose. He realized moments later that Oshiriku stood beside him with her sword pointed towards his back. A single drop of sweat formed on his forehead and traveled down his face so that it fell onto the floor. Oshiriku watched the water hit the marble floor with a smile, but her sword slid right a fraction to block Hansigu's attack. His sword clanged to the ground and he flipped away from her. She laughed silently as she flew at him, disappearing and reappearing too quick enough for him to actually see her. She sheathed her sword and ran circles around him.

"Captain Shihouin?" It was Yumuru. She had stood. Oshiriku stood planted in front of a panting Hansigu. She raised her eyebrows at the violet-eyed girl gazing at her. "I will fight Hansigu tomorrow for the lieutenant position."

Oshiriku pondered the idea for a moment before nodding. "That is very thoughtful of you, Yumuru." She patted Hansigu on the shoulder gently before walking towards a trembling Ito. The girl handed her two sheets of paper. Oshiriku scanned the information slowly. Her eyes fell upon the two late arrivals that had finally decided to grace them with their presence. She picked up the teacup Ito had just filled while tapping the table with her left index finger. The warm liquid swished around her mouth from cheek to cheek before sliding down her dry throat. Her dark eyes held the gaze of the black haired boy; the boy with the faint purple hair had that same strange smile on his face. What had his name been? "You two go on out there and fight. Don't kill one another. Ito, ring the bell after thirty minutes."

"Why can't we fight you?" It was Ichimaru.

Oshiriku wanted to wipe that ugly smile off his face. "Neither of you will even hit me with a speck of dirt. Fight one another or return to whatever you were doing before you rudely interrupted us."

The boy with the black hair gulped. "I-I …"

"You're grateful I'm still giving you a chance after you didn't turn in your papers in or show up on time? I would be as well. Looks like your thirty minutes have started." Oshiriku forced a smile before looking down at the papers in front of her. Someone had written up a report on how useless kidou was when one was engaged in battle. _It does take a rather extended amount of time for some of the spells._ She laughed heartily, glancing up at the two boys fighting in front of her. It would be easy for her to choose a winner. The one with the fewest cuts would fight the winner between Yumuru and Hansigu. She glanced at the girl kneeling beside her friend, healing his shoulder. Did Yumuru like Hansigu or Arenaki? Her dark eyes wandered over to Arenaki. He was focused on the two boys in front of them, but Oshiriku saw him glance at his two friends out the corner of his eye. His face turned a shade purple when he caught her looking at him with that knowing smile on her face. She looked down at the paper again. Why was writing an essay so important whenever someone was trying to get into a higher position? She flipped through the papers with a composed smile on her face; the person had obviously fallen asleep during grammar class. After sipping her tea, she moved on to another paper.

"Time!" Ito's soft voice resounded in the gym.

The captain looked up from the paper on the table with her lips pressed together. She motioned both the boys forward. After much inspection of each of them, she could easily tell Ichimaru was the winner. She thanked the black haired boy for coming and motioned Ichimaru to go the infirmary. After a loud sigh, she sat down in her chair again and said, "Yumuru or Hansigu will be fighting him tomorrow when their fight is done."

Ito laughed. "Perhaps you should let Hansigu and Yumuru fight today to make the fight fair to them."

Oshiriku gazed at the girl with a dazed expression. She crossed her arms over her chest thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

"Hansigu and Yumuru will go all out. Besides, I can tell you that if that's all Ichimaru has to offer, he won't defeat either of them." Ito shuffled the papers in her hand. Her eyes darted from her captain to the cup on the table. She moved to fill it again, but Oshiriku's hand stopped her.

Oshiriku chewed her lower lips gently. She turned to Hansigu and Yumuru sitting near the door talking vividly. "You two. Would you prefer to fight now or tomorrow? Either way, the winner will fight Ichimaru tomorrow after dinner."

The boy and girl looked at one another for a moment. In unison, they both said, "Now."

Oshiriku was happier both of them wanted to get the fight over. She knew as well as the two people preparing to fight one another that Ichimaru could fight a little better than he had let on. Maybe he'd just wanted his friends to endure the entire thirty minutes. Whatever the reason was, Oshiriku still didn't like him. So, she had all her hopes riding on the strength of the boy and girl in front of her. There was no way in hollow heaven she would let Ichimaru Gin be her lieutenant. She sat back in her chair just as Ito rang the bell. Her dark eyes focused on the two people in front of her. Yumuru was there because she'd been distracted by the sword. That hadn't happened to Oshiriku since she'd seen Urahara's bankai. She clumsily fingered the charm hanging at the hilt of her sword as she watched be boy and girl fighting. It was deeply apparent that Yumuru was the better at hakuda, but Hansigu pulled his sword form his sheath so quickly that Yumuru barely had time to move. She stumbled back and unsheathed her sword all at once. Oshiriku smiled. And she had thought Hansigu would go easy on the girl because he had a crush on her. She looked towards the door as a familiar reiatsu approached.

Shunsui appeared in the doorway holding the tip of his hat. His eyes widened when he saw the spectacle on the floor, but the beautiful woman watching him quickly distracted him. He strolled over to Oshiriku with a smile on his face. She laughed quietly before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the people fighting. Yumuru was more skilled with her sword than Hansigu by a long shot. She did not attack him, but simply easily blocked all his attacks. Oshiriku knew if Hansigu pushed that extra mile with his shunpo the way he'd done with her, he'd be faster and that would be to his advantage. He sped up just as the thought left her.

Shunsui sat down in the chair on her right with a whistle. "Why do you have them fighting with real swords?"

"It's more realistic," Oshiriku replied casually.

"They're going to kill one another."

"Nah. They're just trying to be my lieutenant. Ten minutes, people!" She laughed when Shunsui flinched at the loudness of her voice. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and smiled. "What brings my friend here?"

Shunsui rolled his eyes. "Nanao is boring."

"Ahh, Kyoraku, you need someone who can do your work, not some hotheaded person that will only get you into trouble."

Shunsui chuckled. "Hotheaded and a good worker will do fine. Did you see that?"

Oshiriku turned to him with a smile. "Don't look at Yumuru's sword. You'll go blind."

"So, you want to go out tomorrow?" He scratched his chin roughly, but Oshiriku knew he did it only because he was nervous.

"Might as well. It will be good to relax after this." Her eyes widened when she saw Yumuru's sword coming down toward an already bloody Hansigu.

"She said no killing." Arenaki's sword had clanged with Yumuru's mid air. A look no one in the room could decipher passed between them. He held his hand out to her. Yumuru sheathed her sword and bowed to her opponent before walking past her friend and out the gym. Arenaki laughed nervously. "She's just had a rough week." He bowed clumsily before running after her.

"Time," Ito whispered. Her shaking hand scribbled something on the paper. She slid it towards Oshiriku. Ex-lover's quarrel.

Oshiriku motioned for the healer to go to Hansigu. She looked at Ito sideways. "Why didn't Arenaki want to be lieutenant?"

Ito smiled as if she was about to reveal a wonderful secret. Her pencil slid over the paper again before she slid it back to her captain. He loves Yumuru. Oshiriku nodded, but could see that if Arenaki had tried, he probably would be her lieutenant. She shrugged and collected her papers. She and Shunsui talked about their plans tomorrow as they walked towards her office. Ito followed them at a distance with her eyes on the ground and her clipboard her against her chest. Oshiriku coaxed the girl forward quicker so she could lock the door to the office. She and Shunsui sat at the desk arguing over whether or not Yumuru won the fight while Ito sat at the table organizing papers and finishing up the writing. Shunsui suggested that Ito be her lieutenant, but Oshiriku told him that Ito was probably going to the fourth squad sometime soon. Ito had heard her; her back went rigid at the declaration her captain had made. She finished the paperwork quickly and excused herself.

Shunsui sat with his feet on her desk and his hat over his face. "That's why I always liked you. You know how to clear a room." They burst into laughter. Oshiriku nudged him gently before offering him something to drink. He said no to the tea, but nodded when she pointed to the yellow container sitting behind her desk. Shunsui sipped the sake slowly, relishing in the strong burning taste of the liquor. He sighed. "Why do you have this by your desk? I bet you drink only half a cup."

"I drink a cup a day."

"I've never tasted this sake before. Where'd you get it from?"

Oshiriku pressed her lips together. "I got it from the place where Jushiro and I shared our first kiss. You never went there with us. I doubt you know where it is."

"With sake this good, you should tell me." He laughed.

Oshiriku rolled her eyes, but could not keep the smile from her face. "Jushiro knows. He took me."

Shunsui nodded. "He does have some secrets, huh?" He poured himself another cup.

Oshiriku took the container away from him and put it back behind her desk. She sighed. "You have classes tomorrow."

"And you have to find yourself a lieutenant. You know, Yamamato wants you to teach shunpo to the new students starting next term."

"Yeh? That'd be something to keep my mind clear."

"I thought nothing disturbed the wind." He said the sentence thoughtfully.

"No, but water is easily moved." Oshiriku replied with a smile.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine.**

Oshiriku couldn't help but smirk as her new lieutenant walked towards her. She sat back in her chair with her hands clasped neatly on her lap as her eyes shined at the boy waling towards her. Somehow, it had been a stroke a luck that he'd been able to fight anyway. She nodded to Ito so that the red head pushed a stack of forms towards the boy standing in front of the table. His green eyes widened a fraction when he saw the stack of papers. Oshiriku thought he would decline the position because of all the paperwork, but instead he took the papers and wandered off to a place by himself at a table across the room.

"They are destiny," Ito said softly. She blushed when Oshiriku gave her a sideways glance. "He and Yumuru."

Oshiriku raised her eyebrows at the response, but did not say anything. She'd been surprised from the moment Arenaki showed up after dinner with his long blond hair in a neat ponytail and a smile on his face. Well, he did smile a lot, but that smile was one of knowing. He'd pulled her aside in and told her in a hushed voice that Yumuru was sick and unable of performing. Oshiriku had asked him what he thought she should do. Arenaki looked taken back by the questions. Had their captain just asked him for his opinion on a matter? He told her in a dark voice that he would fight Ichimaru for the sake of reserving Yumuru's honor. The fight had taken less than twenty minutes, not counting the time they spent glaring at one another. She inhaled the clean air deeply. "Arenaki, bring those papers to my office when you are done. Your first meeting is tomorrow morning."

The blond boy looked up from the papers. He nodded before turning his attention back to the work at hand. Ito yelled a loud congratulation as she followed Oshiriku out of the gym. They walked in silence towards Oshiriku's room. Ito had never been there, but she knew to follow Oshiriku unless she instructed her to do otherwise. Oshiriku stopped in front of her door, but did not go inside. She motioned Ito in front of her and told her to take her to Yumuru's room. Ito did so with a smile, happy her captain cared enough about them to visit her sick officers. She gently tapped on Yumuru's door before sliding it open. They stood in the doorway silent. Yumuru sat up on her futon with a strange expression on her face. Her face was pale and the room smelled strongly of antiseptic.

Oshiriku stepped inside. "Arenaki told us you were ill."

Yumuru laughed. "He would tell you whatever you asked." She groaned as she fell back onto the futon. Sweat was on her forehead, plastering her hair to the sides of her face. "You should leave before you get sick."

"What's wrong?" Oshiriku asked the question as she came further into the room. Yumuru stared at her with round eyes. The captain laughed loudly and motioned for Ito to close the door. Ito came inside, but she stepped back outside when she saw the look on Yumuru's face; her friend had given her that threatening expression countless times as they were growing up. She stepped back into the warmth of the sun and slid the door closed. She decided to go to her captain's office and wait for her there.

"I feel special with you being in my room in all. You'll make the others jealous." Yumuru spoke the words thickly. She swept her hair away from her face. "I'm prone to fevers and infections."

"Something you carried over?" Oshiriku asked curiously. She sat down beside the girl.

Yumuru laughed. "I was born here. In Hideyasu, I mean. We were very poor, but it was an okay life. I guess… maybe if my parents had lived just a fraction better I would not be so sick."

"What's wrong?" Oshiriku asked. It felt as if she was literally dragging information from the sweating girl in front of her. She took a cloth from her pocket and wiped the girl's face. Heat from the girl's body radiated into the air, forcing Oshiriku to pull her hand back. Was she afraid she'd get burned? No. The heat from the girl's body sickeningly reminded her of the times she'd sat beside Ukitake during his sick spells.

"I have a weak immune system." Yumuru gazed into her eyes.

"Your sword…"

"As bright as the sun because that is how my soul feels sometimes. No doubt tomorrow my temperature will be high enough for one to warm tea on my skin."

Oshirku smiled at the joke. She put a hand on Yumuru's shoulder and said, "if you want to fight Arenaki for the position--"

"I'm overjoyed he won. He deserves it. That said," Yumuru sat up on her elbows so that she could be face to face with her captain. "I would like it very much if you trained me. I want to go with you to the human world."

"Why did you stop me from attacking Hansigu?"

"Sometimes, when we get angry, we forget our own strength."

They smiled at one another. Oshiriku touched Yumuru's shoulder before leaving. She walked towards her office slowly, but decided against going straight. Instead, she detoured towards the gardens. Her feet moved slowly over the polished marble floors as she sped towards the fresh air of newly bloomed flowers. Stepping onto the concrete, she slowed down her walking pace so she could gaze at everything within site. Her dark brown eyes scanned the fields and patches for a sign that something was out of the ordinary; for a strange reason, she felt a slight tug at the bottom of her stomach. It was a feeling she got right before something bad happened when she was younger. After taking in a deep breath of what smelled thickly of cherry blossoms, she strolled forward with her hands clasped in front of her. She wondered if Yumuru liked the smell of cherry blossoms or any flower for that matter. A smile stretched her lips when she recalled that Yumuru had in fact worn a daisy in her hair the first day she'd entered as their captain. Oshiriku looked down at her black kimono and the white haori she wore. She tugged at it. The smile on her face disappeared when she looked up; her feet had stopped moving.

The happiness she'd been thinking of seconds earlier drained from her body as if someone was sucking it away through a large straw. Her dark eyes widened a fraction as a gasp escaped her. She pressed her lips together and focused her eyes on the dark gray concrete that led her on a path beyond they two people in front of her. Forcing herself not to walk faster than necessary, she strolled past the two people standing in front of a large fountain. She did all she could to fight the urge to grab Ukitake by the shoulders and shove him into the water. How could he not see her? Oshiriku chewed on her lower lip angrily, closing her eyes and quickly counting. She did not see him glance at her out the corner of his eye. All she saw was the large outer area beckoning to her.

The air outside the gardens had no smell. She stalked towards her office with her lips still pressed together and a frown on her face. What right did she have to be angry with him anyway? After all, she was married. She'd actually liked the new fourth division captain when she met her, but now, she couldn't imagine speaking a civil word to Unohana. She'd been there for only five months and there she was trying to get Ukitake. Oshiriku muffled a scream, pushing a hyper officer to the side so she could continue her mental ranting peacefully. Where was she again? Oh, yes. How dare he pretend not to see her in such a beautiful place. She slammed the door shut, startling an overworked Ito from her sleep.

"Go to your room and get some rest, Ito. I can handle things from here." Oshiriku sat her desk with a sigh. She smiled at the cup of hot tea Ito handed her. The girl blushed deeply when her captain gave her a breathy thank you. "I mean it, go get some rest. And you should start practicing your healing again. You'll be going to fourth squad when I return from the human world."

Ito chewed her lower lip gently. She rubbed her hands together roughly before shouting, "I don't want to go! My friends are here!" She laughed nervously at the look Oshiriku gave her in response. She opened her hands. "Yumuru is here. She's my sister. I could not leave her. It was in the plan for me to be in fourth squad when we first arrived, but after being here for three centuries, I could not bear being someplace else."

Oshiriku sighed deeply. "You should have said that before I had those fools fighting. You could have been my lieutenant. Jeeze. Go to your room." She pressed her face into her warm hands so that she didn't have to look the girl in the face. After Ito said goodbye, she looked over the top of her hands to find Shunsui waiting with that silly hat in his hands. She slapped her forehead gently; she had completely forgotten she was going with them. "Where are we going?"

Shunsui walked over to her desk, picked up her teacup, and gulped down what remained in it. He frowned at the bitter taste it left in his mouth. "To meet Kisuke someplace. Why is that tea so bitter?"

"It's a special concoction. Ishirio gave the recipe to Ito. She has it memorized. Kisuke, huh? He didn't invite too many people over did he? Either way, I need to go change into something more comfortable. You'll wait here?"

"I suppose. My, have you got a large collection of books."

Oshiriku laughed. "There are thirty-eight books of haikus. Two of them are hand written by me. I'll return shortly."

When she did return, Shunsui sat on her desk with a cup of tea in one hand and a sheet of yellow paper in the other. She glanced at it, noting that it was a letter from Yumuru, probably delivered by Arenaki. Shunsui sat his cup on the desk, allowed his eyes to roam over Oshiriku, and put the paper down. "We're just visiting, Oshi-chan. No need to tempt men who will never have you."

Oshiriku had changed into a magenta colored kimono that had gold silk along the hems. Pale pink butterflies had been dyed into the material. Her black hair was pulled away from her face with a pink ribbon, but it hung loosely in a ponytail. She laughed when Shunsui flicked the hair with his hand. Her hand wrapped tightly around his arm so that she pulled him out of her office. The night air was warm as they walked towards the gate. Shunsui waved to the boy sitting in the chair in the tower. The gate rose slowly, casting a large shadow from the light of the lanterns. Oshiriku ran forward with her arms held in the air. Shunsui chuckled to himself as he slowly followed. They walked in silence the entire way; Oshiriku's eyes strayed from building to building. They were in a part of Seireitei she'd never visited before. She ran forward when she saw a familiar figure standing in front of a large inn dressed in a plum colored kimono.

"Yoruichi-chan!" She jumped on her cousin's back with a loud squeal. Her arms wrapped around her neck tightly, and they fell to the ground laughing. Yoruichi kissed her on the cheek gently before slapping Shunsui on the back. Oshiriku wrapped an arm around Yoruichi as they followed their friend into the inn. After walking up two flights of stairs, Oshiriku was sure Urahara had something devilish planned. Why else would they be on the second floor?

Yoruichi pulled Oshiriku back before she could follow Shunsui into the room. "Jushiro is here."

Oshiriku smiled. "Okay."

Yoruichi smiled. "He brought a friend. I remember you saying you were fond of her."

Oshiriku's face drained of all its color exactly how Yoruichi had expected her cousin would behave. She forced a smile and held her breath until her cheeks were flushed. "That's fine."

"She's just his friend."

Oshiriku laughed loudly and wrapped an arm around Yoruichi's shoulders. "Yoru-chan, I have lived centuries loving Jushiro. If this woman is truly his friend, I would be happy to meet her again."

What had began as a simple game of cards some minutes later turned into a drinking game. Everyone aside from Ukitake, Oshiriku, and Unohana had drunk themselves into a stupor. Oshiriku smiled down at a sleeping Shunsui; his head was on her thigh. She tangled her fingers in his hair. Her dark eyes darted to the door when she heard the lock click and the knob turn. Ishirio poked his head inside before setting the key on the table beside the door. His hazel eyes were round when he saw the bodies strewn across the room as if there had been a massive battle. He stared at Ukitake and Unohana before turning his attention to his wife.

"You missed the party," she said sarcastically. She laughed when Ishirio smiled at her. After maneuvering so that Shunsui's head could fall onto the pillow she sat on, she stood and walked towards him. "Goodnight, you two." Oshiriku waved with a forced smile as she pulled Ishirio back out of the room. The door closed behind them lightly, signaling that it was not completely shut. Ishirio dutifully closed the door and locked it again from the outside. Urahara had completely ruined the purpose of them all being in that room. He tossed the key to the man standing behind the desk on the first floor with a frustrated glance. His eyes fell on the back of Oshiriku's head as she walked in front of him at an alarming speed; he struggled to keep up.

"Will you slow down?!" He shouted.

She turned to him with a deep frown. Strange, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She smiled at him. "Sorry, I was in deep thought."

He nodded. "Of course. You just saw the man you love in deep conversation with another woman. I'd be devastated." The words didn't come out the way he had meant them to. He pressed his lips together, but could not take his eyes away from the shocked expression she wore. His hand lifted towards her face slowly. Usually, she would step away from him or pretend to be interested in something she'd seen on the wall behind him, but this time his hand touched her skin. Her eyes slowly returned to their normal size so that she gazed at him with a crooked smile.

As she stared at him, she realized the weight of the words he'd said. Her head tilted so that his hand could brush the curve of her chin and slide behind her neck. _He loves me?_ Why would he love her when she'd pushed him away so many times? A loud gasped of shock escaped her lips before he pressed his mouth against hers. His left hand joined his right hand on her neck so that he pressed their mouths together harder. His tongue brushed hers, forcing her mouth wider so that their kiss deepened. Oshiriku wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back hungrily. How could she have not known he was such an amazing kisser? She groaned as his right hand traveled down her side and rested on her hip. He pressed her against the front of his body. She pulled away from him with wide eyes. He took her into a tight hug.

"This could ruin us." She said the words softly.

Ishirio smiled into her hair. "This will make us."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine. Ukitake is mine… LOL A girl can dream.**

The room she woke in was small, holding only a bed, a desk, and a chair. A large bowl of hot water sat steaming on the desk beside a stack of white towels. Oshiriku frowned at the light pouring into the room through the thin curtains. After glancing around the room, she realized someone had opened the curtains. She sat up in the bed on her elbows, the blanket falling to her waist. Ishirio sat in a chair some feet away from her with a pencil in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. He drew a few lines on the corner of the paper and glanced at her. His eyes darted back to her face quickly. She smiled at him before settling back into the quilts and pulling the one on top up to her shoulder. With a loud sigh, she closed her eyes and floated back into sleep.

It was pleasantly cool that morning as they walked back towards Seireitei. Oshiriku had lost her ribbon the night before. She couldn't even recall what had transpired after they had returned to the inn. A part of her did not want to remember because all she could think was that things between she and Ishirio would change. Her long black hair tangled in a breeze. She rolled at Ishirio as he made an attempt to straighten it out. After braiding it into a loose plait, she let it hang over her shoulder. He chased her with his bag on his back, accusing her of being selfish for not allowing him to touch her hair. Touch it? He'd practically worshipped it the night before. Regardless, she ran ahead of him with a large smile on her face.

Shunsui sat in her chair with his feet on her desk. He turned to her as she walked into her office. "Where'd you go last night?"

"You all were so drunk."

"Jushiro was not drunk."

Oshiriku smirked. "He wasn't alone either." She adjusted her black kimono and frowned upon realized she wore a butter colored haori instead of the traditional white one with her division's number on it. After sitting in the chair beside Shunsui, she saw he was wearing a pink haori with flowers on it. Where had he gotten such a beautiful cloth? She lifted the hem and rubbed the material between her fingers. "Where'd you get this?"

Shunsui smiled. "I bought it with all the money I've collected from people as gifts over the years. You like it?"

"It's beautiful." Oshiriku dropped the cloth and turned to the papers on her desk. Soon, she would be enjoying herself in the human world.

"Your lieutenant is strange. I thought I saw him with blond hair yesterday." Shunsui put his feet flat on the floor. He rested his chin on his palm.

"You did. It's some hair liquid he was testing on himself. It goes away after he washes his hair with the shampoo. He looks better with his blond hair, but sometimes he dyes it black."

"My, what a strange boy he is."

Oshiriku chuckled. "Shouldn't you be teaching class? Why isn't Nanao with you?"

"I sent her away."

Oshiriku groaned. "Send her here the next time you see her." She pushed her chair away from the desk and wandered over the shelves of books. Her index finger slid over the spine of several books before she took a black one. After glancing through the pages, she decided it would be for the best. She smiled at a mesmerized Shunsui. Her former captain stood as a smile spread on his face. He motioned her a quick goodbye before leaving the room. Oshiriku sat down in her chair and opened the book to the fiftieth page. The page was white and blank. She dipped her quill in the ink and began writing.

Her door opened hours later to reveal a panting Arenaki with a giggling Ito at his side. Arenaki stumbled into the room with a groan as Ito gave him another pat on the back. Oshiriku gave them both blank stares before finishing up the reports in front of her. She sat back in her chair and watched as Ito helped Arenaki make it to the couch in front of her desk. The girl promptly gave her friend a cup of tea before sitting down beside him. Oshiriku took in a deep breath, but didn't bother asking either of them what the problem was. She opened the door to find a fuming Urahara holding a glass of black liquid in his hand. _Great. _

"Kisuke?" She asked with a smile.

"Your lieutenant used this to turn his hair that color. THIS is mine. Keep him away or he'll be in jail."

"Kisuke."

"Dirty little thief." Urahara grumbled.

"Kisuke. It's only dye."

"When he goes bald or drops dead, you'll learn otherwise. Kid, stay out of the research lab. I don't know how you got in there in the first place." Urahara walked away in silence, glaring down at the liquid in his hand.

Oshiriku closed the door with a smile. If Arenaki was able to get into Urahara's lab, she was pretty sure it was because he wanted the boy to get in there. After glancing over her slightly beaten lieutenant, she determined she had been right before. Urahara had planned on Arenaki using the dye. She ran her hand through his short black hair. "The last thing you want, Arenaki, is an angry Kisuke. Also, the last thing you want to is try products he's purposely left out for you." She laughed at the shocked expression Arenaki and Ito gave her. Her fingers dug deeper into his hair. "He won't purposely kill you, but you take the risk on your own." She sat down in her chair again.

"Yumuru is very ill. Will she be going with you?" Arenaki turned to his captain.

She looked up from the book in her hand. "If she can walk, she can go with me. The commander said it was okay."

"Oh." Arenaki turned to the table again.

Oshiriku smiled. "She wants to go. You should want for her want she wants for herself. You'll just have to learn to deal with not having her around for a bit." She stood and put the book back in its place.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Arenaki rubbed his swollen head before throwing his captain a quick glance.

"Fine. I made the list of seated officers as I saw fit. Arenaki, Yumuru, Ichimaru, Hansigu, Shinji, Kayume, Yuri, Lin, Omegato, and Yukone. As listed."

"Ichimaru's first name is Gin." Arenaki said thoughtfully. He laughed nervously at the expression his captain wore. "I assumed you wanted to know. You called everyone else by their first names."

"I was in tenth seat." Ito's voice was low.

"You're going to fourth division." Oshiriku handed the paper to Arenaki. She sat at her desk again, staring at the back of the girl's head. "After three years, if you don't like it there, I will gladly accept you back."

It was Arenaki who said what Oshiriku knew to be true and what Ito had to be thinking. He frowned. "People in this division don't like fourth division. Hardly anyone likes fourth division. Give or take some of the thirteenth division, but they like everyone."

There was a soft tapping at the door. Ito ran to the door and opened it without thought. Luckily, it was only Ukitake standing there with his hands resting at his side. Arenaki appeared beside Ito; he whispered a quick hello to Ukitake and dragged his fellow officer from the room. The door closed softly behind them. Oshiriku gazed at him blankly. He sat down in a chair at the nearest table. They sat in silence until the clock on Oshiriku's wall began to chime. She poured him a cup of tea and sat down one chair away from him with a smile. Her eyes roamed over the smooth angles of his face and how his soft hair hung beautifully, making him look like an angel. She could never compare him to anything else.

Ukitake ran his finger over the rim of the teacup with a forced smile. "How are you?"

Oshiriku sighed. "Fine. Did Kyoraku send you here?" She mumbled something about Nanao that he couldn't understand.

"No, I just wanted to see you." He reached out for her hand; she unconsciously slid it onto her lap and lifted her cup to her mouth. The smile on his face did not falter, but she could see the look of pain in his eyes. "Unohana is my friend. I'm just trying to get her used to all this."

Oshiriku's lips trembled against the teacup. If she spoke, she was pretty sure her voice would crack at some point. After taking in a deep breath, she sat her cup on the table with a smile. "There's no need for you to explain anything to me, Jushiro. You're a single man and I'm a married woman. We're friends. I'm happy for you." She forced a smile before grasping his palm into her hand. Her mouth struggled to form the words her heart told her not to say. When did her heart begin direct control over the muscles in her mouth? She pressed her lips together as memories of the night she'd spent with Ishirio came to her. A slight blush crept into her cheeks. Her dark eyes fell upon his face. "I'm trying to let go so I can be a good wife. Please."

The smile on his face vanished. He stared at her with no emotion at all, not even in those gray eyes she loved and coveted so much. He stood, forcing a new smile that was filled more with sorrow than content. "I'm happy for you." He walked to the door slowly, exhaling deeply with each step he took.

Oshiriku's mind screamed at her body, but her body seemed to have developed a mind of its own. Her arms wrapped around Ukitake's waist tightly so that her face was pressed into his back. She inhaled the sweet scent of his soft hair. "Pledonleavme." Her words were muffled.

His back was stiff and straight. Slowly, her arms reached up so that they were wrapped around his neck. His warm hands rested on top of hers, and he moved them so he could turn to her with clear eyes. The smile on his face made her stomach flutter. By the look of his face, she could tell whatever he was about to say would hurt her as much as it was hurting him. "I want you to be happy with your husband."

She did not move to wipe the tears away that slid down her cheek. "Y-you… Why?"

He took a step closer to her and gave her that sorrowful smile again. "It's fair."

She nodded gloomily but made no attempt to move from within his reach as his hand gently stroked her cheek. Her trembling hand landed on top of his, and they moved closer until their noses were less than an inch apart. Oshiriku made a sound of annoyance before she pressed their lips together. Her arms wrapped around his neck again, and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She felt the edge of the table nudging her in the back hard. He gently lifted her by the thighs so that she sat on the table, but their lips were still together, their tongues brushing almost shyly with each kiss.

It had been so many years since she'd kissed him that she'd thought she wouldn't remember how electrifying it felt. The warmth in her stomach proved otherwise. His hand crept up her leg to her thigh, raising a moan in the back of her throat. She scooted farther to the edge of the table so that their lower bodies were pressed together. He stopped kissing her and pressed his face into her neck. He would never forget the sweet smell of sunflower oil. Oshiriku opened her kimono hesitantly. Ukitake's eyes were still on her face; she gave him a smile he hadn't seen in centuries. As if he was starving, he pressed their lips together again. She moaned into his mouth, pulling emotions from deep within him he thought he'd hidden away. She was a married woman, after all. His hand slowly touched every inch of her skin; it was skin he hadn't seen for half a millennia, but he still knew each curve and scar it held.

"J-Jushiro…" She whispered his name into his hair. He moved slowly, but her body had waited too long for him to be gentle. She wrapped her legs around his waist and scooted farther off the table so that he could move deeper. Her warm lips brushed his ear as she pressed a brief kiss against his neck. "Harder."

She sat at her desk with her fingers intertwined thinking about how she could allow something so horrible to happen. It wasn't horrible. No, she shook her head violently to clear her thoughts. It was one of the best feelings she'd ever had in her life. She thought about how Ishirio probably would have laughed it off if what had happened the night before hadn't happened at all. Trembling, she lifted her cold tea to her lips with a frown. She'd been sitting in her office alone for nearly three hours; she and Ukitake had spent almost an hour on the table she now gazed at. Her eyes moved to the black book on the bookcase. She set the teacup down, got the book, and went to writing. Her fingers moved across the paper swiftly with the quill clasped in between them. Places she knew would be bruised throbbed from the pleasure her body had been given earlier.

The door to her office slid open. Yoruichi stood in the doorway with a hand on her hip; Urahara stood beside her with a stoic expression. They trooped into the room with Nanao following behind them at a safe pace. Yoruichi sat on the couch with a loud yawn while Urahara fixed himself a cup of tea. Nanao stood in front of her desk with her head lowered and hands clasped. Oshiriku groaned as she closed the book and stood. She was more than a foot taller than the girl.

"Nanao, uhh, I have to insist that you become strict with Shunsui-san. He's going to deviate from important things if you don't do your job. It's your job to clean up his mess and make sure he gets to places on time and to give him important information. Most importantly, it's your job to keep him in line. I know he's a bit uhh goofy sometimes, but please, please, please, build yourself so you're immune to his silliness. And make sure he does what he's supposed to." Oshiriku sat down in her seat. She rolled her eyes at a smirking Urahara as he laughed silently with his index finger pointed at the girl in front of her.

"I'm sorry. He's really intimidating." Nanao said thoughtfully.

The other three people in the room laughed. "I heard how proud your mother was that you became lieutenant. You wouldn't want to be replaced and break her heart, would you?"

Nanao shook her head. "No, that would really hurt her. I'll do as you ask. Thank you."

Oshiriku nodded, but pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh as the girl trudged out of the room. She threw a pebble at Urahara before jumping onto the couch beside Yoruichi. She gazed at both of them for about ten seconds before asking. "What's wrong? You rarely visit."

"We rarely have time. You'll realize that once you get back." Urahara sipped his tea.

Yoruichi turned to Oshiriku with a strange smile on her face. "What happened between you and Kotogotoku?"

Oshiriku laughed. "He's my husband. What do you think happened?" She rested her head on the arm of the couch.

"Wow. Way to go, Koto." Urahara chuckled at the rhyming words.

"Kisuke, you're an idiot." Oshiriku said the words with a nod.

"Speaking of idiocy, why didn't you tell me you were sick again?" He smirked at the round-eyed stare she gave him. He nodded. "Your husband told me. Can't get him out of the lab for anything. He spends his free time there."

"He noticed." She shook her head.

"When you get back, come to my lab the first thing after you've rested up. We're testing this radiation thing right now. Ishirio seems to think it could end your sickness for good. He thinks of it, I build it."

"Basically." Yoruichi snuggled up against Oshiriku. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything. Urahara had seen the look on his friend's face before she could mask it. He asked her what was wrong. Yoruichi could tell from the look on Oshiriku's face that she knew she'd found out her secret. "Oshi's skin is unbelievably soft on her arm."

Urahara scoffed at such useless information before turning back to his tea. Oshiriku gave Yoruichi a quick smile before standing. "I'm rather tired. I think I'll take a nap." She kissed Yoruichi on the forehead and Urahara on the cheek. "Oh, by the way, congratulate Kaien for me. Tell him I regret not being here to see the ceremony. I'm really proud of him, becoming a lieutenant and all."

Yoruichi smirked. "Right. You didn't congratulate Kuchiki-san and you aren't even going to be here to see your own lieutenant welcomed. Woman." Yoruichi covered a yawn before snuggling into the couch.

"Kisuke, would it be okay if you removed the tumor today and did the other stuff when I get back?"

Urahara raised an eyebrow. "That would seem logical. It could stop it from spreading. Fine, meet me in the entrance to the research facility in an hour. Dress lightly."


	20. Break

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine.**

Yumuru poked the wound gently. She'd dressed up nice in her uniform with a lilac colored scarf draped around her neck. Her thick brown hair was pinned up in a ponytail. She closed Oshiriku's kimono again before sauntering off to play with her captain's sword. Oshiriku watched the girl with an eye of curiosity. She'd never actually spent more than a few hours with her before. How would them being together in the human world for two entire months feel? She pressed a kiss against Ishirio's cheek after making sure her clothes were in perfect order. She had her sword, her kimono was on, her shoes were there, and her hair was in a ponytail. Everything was in order. Yumuru appeared beside her as she walked towards the door. The girl shouted goodbye to Ishirio and Urahara before closing the door. Both of them stared at her wide-eyed. Obviously, the kid had never been to the other world.

She talked about Arenaki the entire walk through the gate. Her voice was gentle when she absent-mindedly let it slip that he had bought her the scarf she wore around her neck. Oshiriku smiled at her. They were stationed in a small town called Susumu with well over five hundred residents. Oshiriku marveled at how the dwellings had changed from huts to buildings with good foundations; some even had two floors. She slowly climbed to the top of one of the two story houses. Yumuru went ahead so she could pull her up as help. They sat in silence watching the sunrise. Yumuru made a joke about a cat and a bowl of rotten milk. Oshiriku laughed until she cried; She had once given Yoruichi a bowl of spoiled milk, but not on purpose of course.

"There's where we'll practice until we leave." Oshiriku pointed to a large open space of green grass that looked as if it went on for miles. Yumuru nodded in agreement; the place couldn't be more perfect: far away from humans and large free space. Her thoughts were interrupted when Oshiriku spoke again. "I'm still healing from my surgery. So, we'll start with shunpo later. After you've become good at that, we'll work on your hand-to-hand combat. Finally, I'll help you with your zanjutsu skills."

Yumuru fumbled with the end of her ponytail. "You'll help me achieve bankai? I want to be a captain like you."

Oshiriku laughed. "I will. And don't look up to me. I'll only disappoint you." Her dark brown eyes darted towards the next town. She jumped to her feet and ran forward as fast as she could. Her feet touched the ground less than two dozen times before she'd reached the place two miles away. A huge hollow materialized behind a marble two-story building she assumed was a library. With a swing of his arm, the top floor was demolished. Oshiriku unsheathed her sword. She leapt into the air and brought her weapon down on the monster's head. Melted away into nothing. She put her sword up. When she turned around, Yumuru was not yet halfway where she stood. Her face fell suddenly; she would be working on shunpo with the girl for a long time.

Her toes itched from the grass brushing against them so often. She watched Yumuru with cold eyes as the girl moved from one target to the next was a wooden sword. Oshiriku pointed at the target three yards away and told the girl to appear there. Yumuru set a stoic look on her face and disappeared. When she reappeared, she was standing in front of the target but two yards away from it. Oshiriku congratulated her on how far she'd gotten in just one day, but she couldn't help but notice the disappointment on the girl's face. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder and led her back towards the town. Urahara had been kind enough to grant them the usage of two gigais, neither of which looked like the people occupying them.

"Get back into your body or people in town will think I've gone mad." Oshiriku pulled at a loose string of linen hanging from the dress she wore. It was a pretty ugly dress.

Yumuru lay flat on her back so that her spirit melted into the body waiting for it. She looked at Oshiriku with a smile. "We drink!"

"That's not why I'm here." Oshiriku walked in front of the girl with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Why are you here? You know you could have petitioned this, being a captain and all."

"For the fighting."

"To get away from your life for a moment. I understand." Yumuru pushed black hair from her face as she skipped along side Oshiriku. She took her captain's hand and began dancing. It wasn't really dancing but more along the lines of her kicking her feet out here and there while humming loudly and jumping. She wrapped her arm around Oshiriku and lifted her into the air gently before setting her back down on her feet. Her feet twirled softly in to grass, not even leaving the grass bent where they touched. Oshiriku watched her feet with a large smile on her face. "I'm not crazy, you know." Yumuru executed a perfect twirl as she turned to her captain.

"No, but you and I have a lot in common," Oshiriku's voice was strained because she could barely control her excitement. Yumuru raised the dark eyebrows on her gigai's face. Oshiriku pressed her hand against the girl's forehead. "You dance."

"I'm decent if I try. I really like dancing."

"Thank the Lord. You just made these two months easier for me."

"Let's try it then. Show me some moves."

Oshiriku sat down in the grass gently. She lay on her back so that she was looking at the sky. Quickly, her spirit dislodged from the fake body. Yumuru lay down beside the now empty body and did the same to her own. They stared at one another with strange smiles. Oshiriku stretched hesitantly; she didn't want to burst the still healing wound on her abdomen. Closing her eyes to visualize that she was back in her own room where everything was warm and safe, she inhaled deeply. Her feet glided over the blades of grass as her body bent and twirled to music only she could hear. Yumuru watched in awe, stretching her body so that she could imitate the older woman. Oshiriku coaxed the girl into closing her eyes and calming her body so that she could feel the wind against her skin. Yumuru's frustration and lack of concentration proved that Oshiriku's newfound wisdom was a fluke. She pressed her lips together tightly. Aha!

"Close your eyes and focus on the warmth of the sun enveloping you. Dance with those rays of light. Move with them. Let your body envelop them."

Her fingers slowly clasped around Yumuru's wrist so that they faced one another. Her hand slid down the girl's back so that she bent her spine slightly and forced her chin towards the sky. Heavy lids clamped down over deep violet eyes. Oshiriku stepped away from her officer with a deep smile on her face. Yumuru moved slowly. Her arms were first to react to the new sense of self-awareness she'd taken on. The smile on Oshiriku's face remained as she watched Yumuru dance and fall and dance. She'd finally found a way to teach her pupil.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine.**

"Do you ever wonder why we exist? I mean, aside from sending people to soul society." Yumuru lay beside her with a blank expression on her beautiful face. Her eyes stared daringly into the sun without blinking.

Oshiriku inhaled deeply before rolling onto her side so that her brown eyes were on the face of her friend. She smiled widely. "We exist to keep order and balance." The answer seemed like a logical one. Her hands planted into the ground; she stood with a loud sigh.

"We've been here for five weeks. I have yet to master shunpo."

"You're almost there. The hollows make for good practice with your zanpakuto, no?" She laughed when Yumuru nodded in agreement. Her bare feet felt deliciously free in the deep brown dirt underneath her feet. She raised her hand over her head with a loud yawn. The wound from her surgery had healed completely, but she couldn't help but stick her hand in her kimono at some moments and wonder if she would truly remain sick until her death. Death? She smiled at the thought of dying after being alive for over one and a half millennia. Her full pink lips stretched into an even wider smile when she saw three people approaching them from the north. No one knew they were there. Well, unless they could pick up Yumuru's reiatsu, which was basically pouring out at any angle it could.

Ishirio clutched a white cloth in his arms as he trudged beside Mikabozu and another tenth division member in silence. The two had already showed him how they felt about his conversation when each of them had punch him in the mouth whenever he tried to speak. His face brightened at the sight of Oshiriku standing beside a girl who was almost as beautiful as she. He pressed a kiss against his wife's cheek before shaking the girl's hand. He recognized her from someplace, but he just couldn't quite place her. The girl gave him a firm handshake before turning her attention to the two men that walked with them. She skillfully maneuvered them away from Oshiriku and Ishirio so that they could engage in a conversation. Yumuru told crazy jokes and managed to catch Mikabozu attention each time his eyes wandered over to where Oshiriku stood.

The sun felt unbearably hot against her smooth skin as she smiled at her husband chatting away about his greatest invention being perfected by Urahara. Oshiriku nodded hesitantly, but fought back the images blurring in front of her. She wrapped an arm around Ishirio's waist so she could rest against him. They sat down in the grass where they shared a cup of sake. Oshiriku rested her head against Ishiro's warm chest and let her eyes fall closed. He thought she'd fallen asleep. So, he held her until Mikabozu began to complain that they might be missing good hollows to be there. Ishirio planted a lingering kiss on Oshiriku's forehead. Just as he adjusted her so she was comfortable on the grass, a huge hollow appeared behind him. He scooped Oshiriku into his arms and jumped out of the way just as a clawed hand slammed into the ground. He pushed her into Yumuru's arms.

Yumuru looked down at her captain with concern. "She's very pale."

Ishirio broke into a run with Yumuru following close at his heels. He marveled at how fast Oshiriku had taught the girl. After shoving his bag into her arms, he left her standing in the cave. She kneeled beside her captain and began waving odd things underneath her nose. Oshiriku's eyes flew open when Yumuru held the salts underneath her nose. The girl let out a loud sigh before helping her into a sitting position. Her hand massaged Oshiriku's neck as she silently prayed the ruckus would be over soon. Yumuru left Ohsiriku with a flask of tea in the cave. She ran towards the battle. The hollow was huge. It was bigger than the one Oshiriku had killed with her zanpakuto the day before. His white mask looked like it could have been the mask one wore to a masquerade ball, but his body was like a huge hairless figure drenched in fuzzy darkness. Her eyes easily followed his movements for he walked only in the shadows. How could there be shadows without light?

A gasp escaped her when she saw Ishirio and Mikabozu charge the hollow at the same time. Mikabozu was knocked back, but Ishirio managed to cut the monster's arm off. Yumuru began to appreciate that her captain was married to someone who could be sensitive when it called and strong when it called for it. She pressed her hand over her eyes when the claws dug into the third man's back. Oshiriku appeared beside her with her black hair plastered onto her pale face and her lips in a tight line. Her eyes widened in surprise at the way her husband attacked the hollow with skill she didn't know he had. Her eyes roamed from Ishirio to the man with the sea colored eyes glaring at him with his sword drawn. They were attacking the same hollow, but anyone could tell there was tension between the two of them that was severing their cause. Oshiriku sat on the ground with her knees pressed into the dirt so that her mouth hung open slightly. She rested her head on Yumuru's thigh. Her dark eyes strayed from Mikabozu's strained face so that they rested on the hollow. Hollow?

"Ishirio. Mikabozu! Pull yourselves together. That's not a normal hollow." She stood to her feet shakily. The color slowly began to return to her face in response to the look Mikabozu was giving her. Ishirio was busy holding the monster off. Her heart's pace increased when Ishirio flew through the air so that he slammed into the higher branches of a tree before hitting the ground. "Mikabozu, stand down."

"My captain is in Seireitei." He glared at her before dodging a blind attack from his opponent.

Oshiriku took a deep breath and began stalking towards the fight with her fists tight. Yumuru followed behind her at a safe pace. "Iki Nare. You've come for me. I'm here." She felt Yumuru's hand press into the small of her back. The arrancar's golden eyes turned to her. Was she mistaken or was there a deep smile on its face? He began to walk towards her.

"This is my fight. My glory. Go wallow in your sickness someplace." Mikabozu ducked just as another clawed hand swung at his head.

Oshiriku stood beside him suddenly and knocked him out of the way as sharp white objects had shot out of the arrancar's hand; he hadn't been expecting that one. She turned in time to see Ishirio shove her out of the way so that she landed on her behind. He ducked, but one scraped him on the shoulder. She didn't know how he did it, but he dug up spirit energy from someplace so that when he brought his sword through the air it slashed the monster into two halves. The body fell back into a pile of dust so that it disappeared. Ishirio turned to her with a smile. She was so beautiful.

"You're even beautiful with that look of terror on you fa--" His words were cut short by a dagger that had lodged into his chest. Another flew at his stomach, but he sidestepped so that it grazed his side. He fell to his knees gasping for air.

Oshiriku stood and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his dark green hair. It reminded her so much of the grass she and Yumuru had danced in weeks earlier. She clutched him against her tightly so that they fell to the ground together with her leaning over him and pulling the weapon from his chest. She pressed a handkerchief against his chest wound. "Yumuru? Bring his bag." She looked up some minutes later to find her third in command at the end of Mikabozu's sword with the bag in her hand. Oshiriku's eyes widened. The daggers had come from him? Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked down at her dying husband. She glared at Mikabozu. "I can forgive so much."

The anger in his face retreated slightly but was replaced with a gleam two times as strong in his eyes. "It's no fun always being second or third."

Oshiriku's hand slid around Ishirio's. She pressed her face into his warm neck with a groan. What should she do? Her eyes bore into the hazel ones staring at her. Her bloodied hand touched his face. She pressed her lips against his gently. Ishirio smiled against her mouth. "I love you." Her grip on his hand tightened. She slowly put his head onto the ground as to not further his wounds. After attempting to wipe some of the blood on her kimono failed, she forced a smile as she turned to Mikabozu.

Her voice broke when she spoke. Her arm extended slowly so that she did not appear a threat to him. "Give me my officer and the bag."

"No. Don't you get it? We're no longer fighting hollows. This is personal. I grew up listening to my parents brag on how wonderful your family was. My mother wanted me to be someone great so I could serve underneath your cousin on the special corps, but I didn't even make the team. They hated me."

"I don't care. He's dying. Give me the bag, Yumuru."

Mikabozu's sword grazed Yumuru's neck when she lifted the bag. A line of blood traced down her skin until it was on the sharp silver blade. "Learn to care."

She kneeled beside Ishirio when he began to tremble. Tears welled in her eyes again as she pressed her lips against his cheek. She'd just learned to love him the way he deserved and here he was about to be taken away from her. "Hold on, Koto-chan. For me. Please." Oshiriku kissed him gently before turning to the man glaring at her. She pressed her lips together. Her dark eyes glimmered with anger, but there was more fear there than anything else he could see.

Mikabozu released a very masculine laugh that made the hair on Oshiriku's arm stand. He lowered his sword an inch from Yumuru's neck and stared at his adversary with a sadistic smile. He lifted his chin slightly. "You will die today. It's the only way."

Oshiriku sighed. "It's pointless." She took a deep breath and gazed at him curiously. "Fine. You kill me in exchange for letting Kotogotoku live."

Mikabozu laughed again. He moved his sword from Yumuru's neck. She fell to her knees in relief. He slapped his knee. "You are in no position to bargain. Besides, I want _all_ of you to die. If he lives, you'll die happy. You see? I know you've moved on from Ukitake because Ishirio has been so happy the past few weeks. No, he will die. Then, you will die."

"What purpose will that serve?" She asked the question with a frown.

"I can't kill Yoruichi. I can't even dream up a fantasy insane enough that would allow me to get close enough to her so that I can kill her, but you, you're her cousin. I will kill her through you. But first, I will kill you." He stepped back when she walked towards him, but he didn't move when she stepped forward again. The smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by that ugly smirk of his. His sea colored eyes gleamed in the light as they burned with hatred for her.

"Yumuru, take care of him." Oshiriku said thickly. Mikabozu didn't see the girl kneeling beside Ishirio until Oshiriku stepped aside. Her white haori with her division's number floated to the ground. A strong breeze blew her thick black hair into her face, but she did not move to push it away. She was taken by surprise at the quick hike in his reiatsu. Her lips opened slightly as her eyes widened.

"You didn't think I had been just resting all these years, did you?" The smirk on his face turned into a smug grin. He raised his sword.

"As the senior officer present, I acknowledge you, Mikabozu Nakkuko, to stand down." She glared daggers at him.

"No."

"If you attack me, I will kill you. Stand down."

Mikabozu lifted his sword again. "Hishinuma, flood."

Oshiriku frowned at the sudden increase in air pressure of the atmosphere. She balled her hands into fists but did not draw her sword. Her brown eyes darkened when her opponent smiled again and disappeared. Shock pulsed through her veins when she felt the tip of his sword against her neck. His arm was wrapped around her waist as he would steal kiss, but the sword pointed at her. The realization that he was serious and had, in fact, been working very hard to increase his skills quickly smothered her other thoughts. The blood in her veins went as cold as the reiatsu flowing from his body. His arm tightened around her waist in an almost caring manner.

"Yumuru, is he dead?" She asked in a monotone voice. She heard the girl behind her gasp.

"He…no. He says that you shouldn't kill Mikabozu-san."

Oshiriku closed her eyes. Tears slid down her cheek. She inhaled a shaky wave of air before letting her own reiatsu burst forth. The energy made Mikabozu stumble backwards. She touched the hilt of the sword and felt the charms hanging there. It was the one Ukitake had given her and the ring Ishirio had bought her to celebrate their five hundredth year of marriage. "Take him and move. Yumuru."

Mikabozu laughed. "She can't move, idiot."

Oshiriku turned to her officer. The girl was crouched over Ishirio trembling with a look of great discomfort on her face. She wrapped her arm around Yumuru and lifted her so that she was over her shoulder. She carried Ishirio the way a husband would carry his new bride. It took her few seconds to make it to the caves. After lying Ishirio on the ground, she placed Yumuru beside him. She pressed a warm hand against the girl's face. Yumuru groaned as she came around. "Watch it." Her eyes darted to Ishirio, but she spoke the next words to Yumuru. "You can rest until I come back."

Mikabozu leaned against his sword with a look of pure boredom on his face. Oshiriku slowly pulled her sword from its sheath and released a large amount of spirit energy at the same time. She could tell from the tension on Mikabozu's face that he had probably underestimated her. Her foot moved forward a fraction, but she did not run at him. Her katana gleamed as she switched from her right hand to her left hand. Why was she having trouble deciding which hand she wanted to fight with? Mikabozu's reiatsu flared to life, overpowering the energy she'd released. The ground around them shook slightly, but Oshiriku smiled at her opponent kindly. Her reiatsu lifted again; she decided she wouldn't hold too much back. The energy pushed the man down to one of his knees. She laughed heartily. "Perhaps I could kill you by crushing you with my reiatsu? That would be a nicer death."

Mikabozu stood to his feet. Sweat had appeared on his forehead, but he wiped it away with a flick of his hand. He closed his eyes and his reiatsu rose again to an almost equal amount. "No, we will fight. You will die."

Oshiriku nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you better stop hiding your energy." Another burst of energy flew from her body. Mikabozu stumbled back. "I intend to make it worth both our whiles."

Mikabozu smirked again before running at her with his sword raised. She easily blocked his attack. His reiatsu rose again. "Fine. Let's both be on our best, shall we?" He shoved her away from him with great struggle. The smirk never left his face. "Let's go." He ran at her again, brandishing his sword quickly from left and right, throwing kicks and punches at the same time.

Yumuru stood in the cave watching with her mouth open. She couldn't see what was going on, but she did know that two black blurs were fighting with an occasional stream of silver flying through the air. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Oshiriku stumble back but jump back into the fight. She turned to the man lying on the ground behind her. His hazel eyes stared at the ceiling of the cave with an almost sorrowful expression. Her kidou was not good enough to heal the really deep wounds. As a matter of fact, her kidou hadn't been good enough to properly close either wound. She knelt beside him. "Ishirio-kun? I'm sorry."

He smiled before looking at her. "No need to be. None of this is your fault."

"She's fighting him. I told her…" Yumuru's voice broke off. She began to cry.

"When you truly understand your captain, you will understand why I told you to tell her that." He turned his pale face towards the darkness that led to a path further into the cave. His hazel eyes seemed to dance as he watched an animal scurry from behind a rock and into the darkness. He did not turn to the sniffling girl, but he did ask her why she was crying.

"I can't help you. And… and I fear for Oshiriku."

Ishirio laughed. "Fear for Mikabozu." He smiled at the gasp the girl gave him in response. His eyes felt heavy, but he did not want to close them yet.

Oshiriku kicked Mikabozu in the face and evaded his foot. Her sword stopped his during its attack but another dagger flew out of his hand towards her. Taking her by surprise, it scraped her arm. She smiled at such petty tricks. Mikabozu laughed. "You better be calling that pretty sword to life soon. Hishinuma!" His sword pulsed a color almost as beautiful as his eyes, but Oshiriku did not pay much attention to it. She blocked him again with a smile. He really did want to die.

"Dance, Kagura." The words had not rolled off her tongue completely in centuries. She clasped the hilt tightly as Mikabozu ran at her again. Her feet moved over the ground as if it did not exist. She continued to smile at Mikabozu as he brought his sword down on hers second after second. He managed to strike her sword hard enough so that he got a punch in on her face. Her palm collided with his shoulder, snapping the bone out of place. He pressed his lips together to muffle his scream. After lifting his arm and pushing it back into place, he gripped his sword tighter. He could feel some of his energy had died away during the fight already. Oshiriku stood feet away from him smiling. He would have to resort to desperate measures to destroy her.

He stood straight and pulled forth all the energy he had remaining. He smiled at the strained expression on Oshiriku's face. "Let the heavens of god cry onto my sword with strength. Waters calm this raging spirit. Bankai."

The ground seemed to turn into a great river. Oshiriku stumbled back, but caught herself before she fell. She gasped as the air around them compressed so tightly that she could not longer breath. Her hand went to her throat. The sky around them turned a blue that truly did reflect the color of Mikabozu's eyes. His sword extended so that it looked as if waves upon waves crashed over it. It was such a beautiful sword. Oshiriku did not move when he disappeared and reappeared beside her so that his sword cut into her side. Her eyes widened in surprised, but she could not speak from the great pressure crushing her lungs. Blood gushed from the wound onto the ground. She closed her eyes and pushed her energy out as hard as she could. Her reiatsu knocked Mikabozu back again and freed her so that she could breathe. She leaned onto her sword gasping for breath with one hand on her wound.

Her brown eyes turned ebony as she glared at him. "Bankai."

The words took Mikabozu by surprise, but his face did not show it until he was knocked onto his back by the sudden rise in reiatsu again. His head smacked into the warm ground underneath him. He struggled to stand to his feet. The wind had picked up greatly. His eyes went round at the sight standing before him. Oshiriku's long black hair flew out behind her as she floated on the air with a sword that looked as if it was a tornado. His mouth fell open when he finally saw why he was beginning to have trouble breathing. They were inside the middle of a typhoon. He looked around for a way to get without risking being cut to ribbons, but he saw no opening.

She took a measure step near him with her sword raised. "You could have been someone great."

Her sword disappeared, but it did not take Mikabozu long to know where it had gone. A cold feeling of dread slid into his chest before he lowered his eyes to his chest. Her sword was actually still where it had been, but a copy of it was lodged in his chest. He smiled at her again. "Hishinuma!" The air pressure in the typhoon increased. He fell to his knees trembling. What a stupid move. Her bankai was also composed of water. She was using his power against him. He screamed and ran at her. His feet stopped in their tracks as hundreds of pin-sized wounds shot through his body.

The only thing he could think of was how beautiful it looked to be trapped inside such a large marvel of water. He fell onto his back smiling. His hand tightened on his sword as he stood again. He used whatever energy he head remaining to dodge a typhoon that was smaller than the one that had encased him, but almost as strong. The water scattered out around them. He jumped into the air. His soared towards her, and his sword, still glowing beautifully with power, was lifted into the air. Oshiriku raised her sword, blocking his attack. She gave him a sorrowful smile. Another large typhoon slammed into him, sending him to the ground. Blood flew from his mouth onto the ground. He clutched his throat with eyes widened in terror; he was drowning. He caught the image of Oshiriku standing away from him with a distant, cold glare in her eyes. She stepped towards him, and the water scattered around him in a large puddle. He tried to move, but his body refused.

Oshiriku sheathed her sword. "You could have been a captain with something so marvelous inside your sheath." She smiled at him.

"I could have been, but you took that dream away from me. I did try." The smile he gave her was laced with misery and anger.

She sighed heavily. The anger in her seemed to leave her with that one move. Her eyes turned back to their complacent shine. "Well, you will find peace."

His hand moved towards his sword, but it had begun to disappear. She bowed to him before turning to walk away. Her eyes caught Yumuru standing in the opening to the cave with a look of astonishment on her face. When she made it to them, she picked up the bag and dressed her wounds. She stared at her officer with a smile on her face. "Sometimes, I still feel dead after I have won."

**A/N: This is my favorite chapter. Took me long enough to come up with Oshiriku's bankai.**


	22. Epilogue

**A/N: Still don't own any of the Bleach characters. The plot is mine. Several of the characters are mine. **

Oshiriku sat in the mausoleum with her fingers laced together neatly on her lap. The silky plum colored kimono she wore stuck to her skin in a strange way that made it itch horribly. She looked up several times, but no one else was in the room but she. Her nose picked up the distinct scent of that horrible cologne Urahara had taken to wearing the past month since she'd been back in Seireitei. She turned to him and Yoruichi walking into the place with stupid smiles on their faces. Urahara whistled loudly before dropping on the bench next to her. His eyes roamed the room.

"You sure do spend a lot of time here. Why?" Yoruichi asked thoughtfully. "Aside him having been your best friend. Why?"

Oshiriku snorted. "I did love him, you know. I guess I just loved him too late."

Urahara sighed. "It can't be helped. He always wanted to huge family that loved him."

Yoruichi chuckled. Her golden eyes stared adoringly at the large painting of Ishirio at the altar. "We loved him like he was our own."

"Like? He was our own, Yoru-chan." Urahara tapped Yoruichi on the head with his index finger. He turned to Oshiriku with a serious expression that made her skin crawl. "I'm glad the procedures went well during your surgeries. You're all cured. If you ever get sick again--"

"I know where to find you."

"You really leaving?" Yoruichi tilted her head so that she could see her cousin around Urahara's large head.

"It's for the best." Oshiriku said. She ran a hand through her long hair. It was pinned down at the top by a red barrette Ishirio had bought her years earlier but she'd just decided to wear. She stared Urahara in the eyes. "Don't you think?" Had he told Yoruichi why she was leaving?

He shrugged with a small frown on his face. "I don't know. I wouldn't leave unless I got kicked out. You know? But you…yes, I do believe this is for the best."

"Ichimaru will probably get your position. Most of your officers are changing divisions. You should have seen his face."

"Why? It always looks the same to me." Urahara said.

They all burst into laughter. Oshiriku stood with a grunt. She rolled her eyes at the glance Urahara gave her. "I'm fine, Kisuke." She pulled him into a tight hug and kissed him on the cheek. A smile stretched her lips when she saw the expression of remorse Yoruichi gave her. She took her cousin in a tight hug. "Yoru-chan, take care of Kisuke. Keep him close. And you watch out. I love you." She kissed Yoruichi on the forehead as she did whenever she gave her cousin departing words.

"Ukitake asked about you." Yoruichi's words stopped her in the doorway. She gave her cousin a smile. Her golden eyes danced with happiness. "I told him you were retiring and going home."

Oshiriku ignored the expression on Urahara's face. She pressed her lips together with a nod. "Thank you. Both of you."

Urahara stood with a yawn. "Kuuaku's waiting for us. Let's go, girls." He took Yoruichi on one arm and Oshiriku on the other.

They left the cold, drafty place in silence; each of them smiled with different thoughts. Oshiriku thought about the first time she'd seen Ishirio and how she'd reacted to him. Yoruichi thought about how Kuuaku had recently changed her bedroom to fit the mood of Ishirio's death. Well, it wasn't as sorrowful as it could be, but the gray gargoyles were a wonderful touch. Urahara thought about Oshiriku and what she would become later in life. He could not help but stare at her out the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but smile at the smirk she gave him when she caught him staring.

Kuuaku stood on a hill in the middle of one of the forests with her fists on her hip. She had a deep frown on her beautiful face. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that showed the beautiful angles of her face. Standing beside her was the youngest in their clan, Ganjyu. Oshiriku pinched his nose; she knew he hated when she did that. She smiled widely at Kaien and Kuuaku as she hugged both them tightly. Her eyes filled with tears as she turned toward the gate Urahara had opened. She hugged each of them another hug and a kiss on the cheek, except for Yoruichi who she kissed on the forehead again before jumping through the gate.

Urahara rubbed his head. "I wanted to ask her if she was happy with the gigai I made for her. It's special, you know? The first of its type."

Isshin and Yumuru appeared in front of them both out of breath. Yumuru inhaled deeply. "Captain…Shihouin?"

"Gone."

"She promised she would teach me!" Yumuru said angrily. She covered her face to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't care if Oshiriku would teach her or not she wanted her friend back.

Isshin sighed. "Well, I'll never get to feel those lips on my cheek again. Damn it." He followed Kuuaku and her younger towards their house while Kaien walked back to the school.

Yoruichi put a gentle hand on Yumuru's shoulder. "Don't cry. Kisuke and I will teach you all you need to know."

"We can join your squad too?" Yumuru asked hopefully.

Yoruichi chuckled. "If you can catch my lieutenant."

**

* * *

A black hairpin held Yumuru's short curly brown hair back. She fumbled with the papers in her hands again before dropping three of them on the ground. Her fist hesitated at slamming into the door of the apartment complex. It wasn't really an apartment, but more like a penthouse. She'd watched numerous amounts of movies to know what the places were called. Her feet itched in the sandals she'd purchased weeks earlier. A man with curly black hair came out the door down the hall. His blue eyes stayed on her face for a moment before he locked his door and disappeared down the stairs. Yumuru knocked again.**

**A man with straight shoulder length black hair answered the door. His dark eyebrows rose slightly. Why was there a pretty girl on their doorstep? He forced a smile; he was going to die from embarrassment. "May I help you, miss?"**

**Yumuru stared at him with a smile. His gray eyes reminded her of someone she knew before she'd settled into that world herself, but she couldn't quite place it. She nodded. "Is there a Oshiriku Shihouin here?"**

**The boy's eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered before the girl could see the expression on his face. "No, sorry."**

**"Is there an Oshiriku here?"**

**"Who is it at the door? Ishirio, I told you not to stand in the door with it open"**

**Yumuru gasped when Oshiriku appeared in the doorway with a frown. She stepped back. Her former captain had her hair braided and pinned to her head. She wore a dark blue business suit with matching heels. The stockings she wore complimented her legs well. Yumuru couldn't take her eyes off the shocked face staring at her. Over five hundred years and she hadn't changed one bit. Her voice broke slightly when she uttered, "captain."**

_**A/N: In case you didn't catch it, I'm going to write Yumuru's story. That's why the story ended the way it did. Also, thanks for reading.**_


End file.
